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Climate Trends & Data

What changes in the Earth’s climate are we observing?
Risk and Vulnerability: available tools and resources for the changing climate

What changes in the Earth’s climate are we observing?

Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and its Effects in Maine

The Maine Climate Council's Scientific and Technical Subcommittee final report is part of the State Climate Action Plan and summarizes the impacts of climate change in Maine and how it might impact our state in the future.

Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and its Effects in Maine report (PDF)
Read the report online in a flipbook format

Maine’s Climate Future

The Maine’s Climate Future Reports are prepared by scientists across the State of Maine and the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute.

2020 Maine's Climate Future: 2020 Update
2018 Coastal Maine Climate Futures
2015 Maine's Climate Future: 2015 Update
2009 Maine's Climate Future: An Initial Assessment

Maine Climate Dashboard

The dashboards below show land temperatures, ocean surface temperatures, and sea levels over time. By tracking these indicators, reconstructing past climate changes, and using state of the art climate modeling, climate scientists have assembled a picture of Maine’s possible climate futures under different greenhouse gas emissions scenarios.

Maine Climate Dashboard

National Climate Assessment

The National Climate Assessments are developed by the U.S. Global Change Research Program and assess the science of climate change and its impacts across the United States. The fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) reports changes in Northeast’s weather and climate, including a rise in sea level, warmer ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, an increase in winter and spring precipitation (little change in summer), more frequent and/or more intense storms, higher temperatures and extreme heat events, increasing average annual temperatures and precipitation amounts, and shorter winters and longer summers.

Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), in development for 2023 publication
Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4)

State Climate Summaries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - National Centers for Environmental Information

These summaries provide up-to-date information on observed and projected climatic changes for each state. Summaries are available both as web pages and downloadable PDFs ranging from four to six pages in length. Each summary covers historical climate variations and trends, noteworthy extreme weather events, future projections of climate conditions over the next century, and past and future conditions of sea level and coastal flooding, where applicable. State Climate Summaries have been developed in partnership with the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS), six Regional Climate Centers (RCCs), and individual state climatologists.

State Climate Summaries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Maine State Summary National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

International Assessment Reports

These are published materials composed of the full scientific and technical assessment of climate change from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The reports are generally in three volumes, one for each of the Working Groups of the IPCC, together with their Summaries for Policymakers, plus a Synthesis Report

Assessment Reports, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Risk and Vulnerability: available tools and resources for the changing climate

Please refer to the Maine Adaptation toolkit for information on adaptation practices and practitioners to inform a better understanding of how to adapt and build resilience to changes in the climate, and to any observed or possible impacts in your community, businesses, or home.

Resources include information on the follow topic areas:

Weather & Climate
Temperature (Air), Precipitation (Rain & Snow)

Flooding
Inland & Coastal Flash, Urban, Sea Level Rise, Coastal Storms

Ocean, Aquatic, and Terrestrial Systems
Oceans, Estuaries, Rivers, Streams, Lakes, Wetlands;
Farmlands/Agriculture, Forests, Meadows, Mountains

External hyperlinks are intended to provide Maine-specific information that might assist your efforts. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein.

Weather & Climate: Temperature (Air & Water), Precipitation (Rain & Snow)

Resource(s)	Topic(s)	Summary	Source	Geographic Range
Maine Climate Office	Temperature, Precipitation, Drought	Daily, monthly, seasonal and forecast data easily viewed in maps, graphs, and spreadsheets and available to download. Climate report and research publications also available.	University of Maine	Maine/Regional
Climate Reanalyzer	Temperature Precipitation Biomes	A platform for visualizing climate and weather datasets. Provides access to weather forecast models, and environmental change model for biome shifts and snow mass balance. Climate is average weather, and so Climate Reanalyzer also provides access to weather forecast models.	University of Maine	Maine/ Regional
Data from the Casco Bay Region Regional Resiliency Assessment Program (Northeastern University) Downscaled Maine Precipitation Data (Northeast Regional Climate Center and Cornell University)	Temperature Precipitation	Regional Resiliency Assessment Program Extreme Weather Data and Layers for Weather, Heat and Precipitation From the “Downscaled Maine Temperature and Precipitation Data” webpage. Under the ‘Documentation’ tab, find ‘Related Studies’ to access the Maine Intensity-Duration Frequencies and Summary, and the Portland Radar Climatology and Urban Flood Analysis and Summary.	US Department of Homeland Security	Maine/ Regional
Climate Data and Information in the Northeast	Precipitation	Daily Observations, Climate Norms, Precipitation, and Extreme Precipitation	Northeast Regional Climate Center	Maine/ Regional
Quarterly Outlooks Daily/Weekly/Monthly Outlooks	Precipitation, Temperature	Recent weather events, climate anomalies, regional impacts, and a climate outlook	Northeast Regional Climate Center / National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	Maine/ Regional
Drought	Drought	Drought Basics, Monitoring Conditions, Household Water Impacts, Who to Call Guide, Sensible Water Use	Maine Emergency Management Agency	Maine/ Regional
National Integrated Drought Information System Northeast Drought Early Warning System DASHBOARD Drought Early Warning System Drought in Maine	Drought	Current Conditions, Data, Maps, and Tools; Events and Webinars; Research and Resources. ,	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration/Northeast Regional Climate Center	Maine/ Regional/ National
Extreme Precipitation Analysis in New England	Precipitation	An interactive web tool for extreme precipitation analysis. Includes estimates of extreme rainfall for various durations and recurrence intervals.	Cornell University / Northeast Regional Climate Center	Maine/ Regional
Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center Precipitation Frequency Data Server (PFDS)	Precipitation	An interactive web tool delivering NOAA Atlas 14 precipitation frequency estimates and associated information.	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration-National Weather Service	Maine/ Regional
Maine Cooperative Snow Survey	Precipitation, Snow	The Maine Cooperative Snow Survey collects, interprets, and distributes information on the depth and water content of Maine's snowpack in the late Winter and early Spring, when the danger of flooding in Maine's rivers and streams is greatest.	Maine Geological Survey, U.S. Geological Survey	Maine
Climate at a Glance	Temperature, Precipitation, Drought, Snow, and Ice	Near real-time analysis of monthly temperature and precipitation data across the contiguous U.S. request data for select cities, states, regions, and the nation and compare current conditions with the historical record.	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information	National
Climate Maps & Data	Temperature	NOAA Climate.gov is a source of timely and authoritative scientific data and information about climate	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration	National
Climate Explorer	Temperature Precipitation	Maps and graphs of climate projections for every county in the contiguous United States	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration	National
Storm Events Database	Temperature, Precipitation, Drought, Flood, Wind, Snow and Ice, Wildfire	Storm Events Database contains the records used to create the official NOAA Storm Data publication: documenting occurrence of storms and other significant weather phenomena; rare, unusual, weather phenomena that generate media attention; and other significant meteorological events. The database contains data from January 1950 to September 2021 (as of January 2022). Search by state, county, and event types.	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information	National
Applied Climate Information System	Temperature, Precipitation, Drought	Operational information derived from historical archives and near real-time climate data. ACIS includes an integrated metadata system for data and observation discovery; national, regional, and local datasets. Assess historical climate trends, enhance daily operational decisions, or assist with any number of climate dependent activities.	NOAA Regional Climate Centers	National
Water Watch	Precipitation Rivers, Streams, Flooding, Drought	Current Streamflow, Flood, Drought, Past Flow/Runoff (for US and by State)	US Geological Survey	National
Climate Publications	Precipitation Rivers, Streams, Flooding Drought	Historical Trends in Summer Precipitation, Base Flows, and Storm Flows in New England and Projections of Seasonal Stream Flows for Coastal Streams in Maine	USGS New England Water Science Center	National

Flooding: Inland & Coastal Flash, Urban, Sea Level Rise, Coastal Storms, Stormwater

Resource(s)	Topic(s)	Summary	Source	Geographic Range
Flood Mapping Resources	River Flooding	FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer Maine Flood Hazard Map 100 year storm (1% annual probability)	Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry	Maine/ Regional
Coastal Hazards Portal	River Flooding Sea Level Rise Hurricanes	Highest Annual Tide Line Highest Astronomical Tide Line Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge (Highest Astronomical Tide + 1.2, 1.6, 3.9, 6.1, 8.8, and 10.9 feet) Sea Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) – category 1, 2, 3, or 4 hurricane Marsh Migration + 1, 2, 3.3, 6 feet sea level rise	Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry	Maine/ Regional
Maine Sea Level Rise Ticker and Dashboard	Sea Level Rise	Interactive viewers, updated every month, provide the best available information on past and future ocean and tide levels. The Ticker provides short-term (1995-present) sea level rise rates and monthly water level rankings for each of Maine's five tide gauges from Wells to Eastport. The Dashboard shows more in-depth information about sea level and water level trends.	Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry	Maine/ Regional
Regional Sea Level Rise Modelling Washington County Lincoln County Saco Bay	Sea Level Rise	Sea level rise and storm surge scenarios for coastal community by coastal county. Potential marsh migration areas in Casco Bay communities.	Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry & Regional Planning Councils	Maine/ Regional
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service	Precipitation	River Observations, Forecasts, and Long-Range Flood Risk	National Weather Service	Maine/Regional
Maine River Flow Advisory Commission	River Flow Flood Potential	River Flow, Flood Potential, Snowfall, Snow Cover, Snowpack, Snow Water Content/Depth/Density/Drainage	River Flow Advisory Commission	Maine/ Regional
Sea-Level Change Curve Calculator	Sea Level Rise	Sea Level Change Calculated from Tide Gauges in the U.S. Select tide gauges and from different scenario sources.	US Army Corps of Engineers	National
Tides & Currents - High and Low Water Conditions	Coastal Water Levels	Using tide gauge readings, access local water levels, tide and current predictions, and other oceanographic and meteorological condition	NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services	National
National Storm Surge Hazard Maps	Storm Surge	For planning purposes, the NHC uses a representative sample of hypothetical storms to estimate the near worst–case scenario of flooding for each hurricane category	National Hurricane Center	National
Historic Hurricane Tracks	Hurricanes	Storms for specific locations, dates, storm details and reports	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration	National
Visualize Tidal Flooding Impacts	Sea Level Rise, River Flooding	Normal conditions, extreme high tides, flooding and sea level rise, how to prepare	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration	National
Sea Level Rise Viewer	Sea Level Rise, Marsh Migration, High Tide Flooding	Sea Level Rise (0-10 feet), Local Scenarios, Mapping Confidence, Vulnerability	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration	National
Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper	Hurricanes, Sea Level Rise	Sea Level Rise (0-6 feet), storm surge, 100 & 500 year flood, social, infrastructure, and ecological vulnerabilities	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration	National
Surging Seas	Sea Level Rise, Impacts	Web-based sea level rise analysis mapping tool developed by Climate Central that allows users to see areas potentially affected by sea level rise and storm surges, down to the neighborhood scale, with risk timelines. It also provides population statistics, summaries of homes and land affected by sea level rise and storm surge, fact sheets, data downloads, and action plans.	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration	National
Tides & Currents	Sea Level Rise	Sea Level – real time, historic, and trends	National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration	National
Sea Level Rise Mobile Application	Sea Level Rise	A crowdsourcing platform for gathering real-time, georeferenced data on local flooding and impacts.	Wetlands Watch	National

Ocean, Aquatic, and Terrestrial Systems: Oceans, Estuaries, Rivers, Streams, Lakes, Wetlands; Farmlands/Agriculture, Forests, Meadows, Mountains

Resource(s)	Topic(s)	Summary	Source	Geographic Range
Potential Tidal Marsh Migration	Marsh Migration	Potential Tidal Marsh Migration and Coastal Undeveloped Blocks After 1 m of Sea Level Rise maps and data	Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry	Maine / Regional
Ecosystem Indicator Monitoring Map Video	Temperature Precipitation Sea Level Rise	EcoSystem Indicator Partnership (ESIP): Indicators for the Gulf of Maine in six areas: coastal development, contaminants and pathogens, eutrophication, aquatic habitat, fisheries and aquaculture, and climate change. Includes several short fact sheets.	Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment	Maine / Regional
Maine Ice-Out Dates	Lake Ice	Historical Data	Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry	Maine / Regional
Ocean Acidification	Ocean Acidity	Effects of Marine Life, Research Priorities, Regional Conditions	Northeast Coastal Acidification Network (NECAN)	Maine / Regional
Ocean Acidification	Ocean Acidity	Impacts to marine ecosystem and resources	Island Institute	Maine / Regional
Maine Weather and Data	Oceans, Marine Species	Weather Forecasts, Marine Forecasts, Weather Data, Historical Environmental Data, Environmental Issues: Climate Change, Invasive Species, Marine Pollution, Ocean Acidification	Department of Marine Resources	Maine / Regional
Climate and Fisheries Data Dashboard	Oceans, Marine Species	Quickly assess and evaluate ocean conditions in the context of past and projected changes. Products within the dashboard include dynamic time series graphs and map-based representations of climatologies and anomalies.	Gulf of Maine Research Institute	Maine/Regional
Marine Data	Oceans Marine Species	Real Time Data/Maps, Waves, Currents, Flooding/Erosion, Forecasts	Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems	Maine / Regional
Ocean and Weather Climate Display	Ocean Temperature	Recent and Past Years Ocean and Weather Conditions, Comparisons. The Ocean Climate Tool includes information about recent and past years oceanographic and meteorological conditions so that you can compare them to the average conditions from the past decade.	Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems	Maine / Regional
Phenology Program: Signs of the Seasons	Growing Season	Citizen Science, Plants and Animals, Seasonal Changes	University of Maine	Maine / Regional
Wildfire Danger Report & Wildland Fire Occurrence Dashboard	Forests, Wildfire	Fire dangers for each zone is updated at 9AM. This system is only operational during Maine’s wildfire season between late March and late November.	Maine Forest Service	Maine/Regional
Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST)	Ocean Temperature	Global monthly analysis of SST data derived from the International Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Dataset (ICOADS). The dataset can be used for long-term global and basin-wide studies and incorporates smoothed local and short-term variations. 2 degree × 2 degree horizontal grid with statistically enhanced spatial completeness. January 1854—Present.	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information	National

Maine.gov