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Maine Weather and Climate Update | |
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NOAA statewide temperature and precipitation data for Maine rank May 2024 as 6th warmest (top 1/10) and 53rd driest (normal) for records beginning 1895. The first half of June has been warmer than normal with near to below normal precipitation. The Northeast Drought Early Warning System shows 30 and 60-day cumulative precipitation deficits, which underlie below normal streamflows and groundwater levels in some parts of the state. However, recent rainfall has increased streamflows and helped to maintaining soil moisture. The U.S. Drought Monitor in turn continues to report only abnormal dryness across northern Aroostook, Piscataquis, and Oxford counties. This weekend a cool, dry airmass is forecast to move in before giving way to heat and humidity on Monday associated with a heat dome developing across the eastern U.S. On Tuesday temperatures are forecast in the 80s, followed by temperatures likely reaching into the 90s with heat index values > 100°F on Wednesday and Thursday. At the height of this event some areas could see overnight temperatures only dropping to around 70°F, owing to the very humid airmass. The latest global model forecast shows a frontal system bringing rain and cooler air to Maine and New England by the weekend. Be sure to check the latest forecast for your area at weather.gov.
NOAA Climate Prediction Center Outlooks
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| Product | Temperature | Precipitation | | Days 6–10, June 19–23 (issued June 13) | Likely Above Normal | Near Normal | | Days 8–14, June 21–27 (issued June 13) | Above Normal | Above Normal | | Weeks 3-4, June 22–July 5 (issued June 7) | Above Normal | Equal Chance | | Seasonal, Jun-Jul-Aug (issued May 16) | Above Normal | Equal Chance | | |
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La Niña, the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, is forecast to develop by late summer. La Niña will moderate global mean temperature somewhat, but the North Atlantic Ocean continues to be unusually warm, including over the hurricane main development region between 10°N–20°N. Atlantic warmth combined with reduced wind shear expected from Niña are expected to produce a very active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season (June–November), which for us on the East Coast translates to increased risk of hurricane or tropical storm impacts. For additional climate and weather information, including historical temperature and precipitation data, visit the Maine Climate Office website.
Sean Birkel, Assistant Extension Professor, Maine State Climatologist, Climate Change Institute, Cooperative Extension University of Maine. For questions about climate and weather, please contact the Maine Climate Office.
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Preventing Heat Related Illness for Farm Workers
The following information is collected from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration's resources on heat illness prevention.
Tips for Preventing Heat Illness.
- Hydrate before, during and after work. Drink 1 cup of cool water every 20 minutes even if you aren’t thirsty. For longer jobs, drinks with electrolytes are best. Avoid energy drinks and alcohol.
- Find shade or a cool area for rest breaks that allow your body to recover.
- Dress for the heat. A hat and light-colored, loose-fitting (where allowed), breathable clothing are ideal.
- If wearing a face covering, change it if it becomes wet or soiled. Check on others verbally often.
- Not everyone tolerates heat the same way. Understand personal risk factors.
Abnormal thinking or behavior, slurred speech, seizures or loss of consciousness are signs of a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately, cool the worker with water or ice and stay with them until help arrives.
Heat illness can cause:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Weakness or dizziness
- Heavy sweating or hot, dry skin
- Elevated body temperature
- Thirst
- Decreased urine output
If you spot someone experiencing the signs above, take action:
- Give them water to drink
- Move them to a cooler area
- Cool them with water, ice or a fan
- Remove unnecessary clothing
- Do not them leave alone
- If in doubt, call 911 or seek medical care
Get more tips on first aid so you can be prepared in the event of an emergency.
Download posters and educational resources here.
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Prevent and Manage Heat Stress in Your Livestock
Summer weather is finally here! While us humans do have the ability to escape the heat, our livestock may need additional assistance in times of weather changes, including extreme heat cycles. Below are a few tips to help our furry and feathered friends be comfortable in the summer heat and how to identify heat stress.
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Check the weather forecast. If it is hot for you, it is hot for them. High heat is an obvious factor, however the addition of high humidity can impact the effectiveness of an animal’s natural cooling responses, such as panting and sweating, potentially leading to heat stress. Using a Temperature Humidity index (THI) chart, like the example below, for specific animal species can help inform management decisions.
- Always keep water clean and accessible.
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Provide sources of cover and cooling. Lean-to structures, barns, tree cover, or homemade canopies can limit the direct sunlight. Ensure shade coverage space to fit all animals. Barns should be well ventilated, and the use of fans can create air movement. Misting and sprinkler systems can be installed to help cool animals down, though it is recommended to pair this with fanning systems to prevent creating a more humid environment. Keep cooling areas clean, as excessive manure buildup can result in other health problems such as parasite and bacterial spread.
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Turn out in the cooler parts of the day. Though food should be available during the day, the metabolization of meals creates internal heat so animals may choose to actively eat when it is cooler.
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Cold baths. Some animals, such as horses, might benefit from being hosed down. Make sure the water is wicked away after, as high heat and humidity can reduce the effectiveness of water evaporation from the coat and can cause overheating. Never hose down a wooly sheep for this reason.
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Transport and work animals in the cooler parts of the day. For many animals, transporting is stressful in and of itself. Prevent heat stress by hauling in the early morning or in the evening. Likewise, work with animals before or after the high heat period of the day.
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Shear long haired or wooly animals. Sheep in wool and other animals with thicker coats are more prone to heat stress. Shearing before heat events can help mitigate heat stress risk.
Signs and management of heat stress
Signs of heat stress include excessive panting (open mouth breathing), sweating, increased respiration rate and rectal temperature, depression, and decreased dry feed intake. This can lead to poor performance, such as decreased milk yield and reproductive ability, and can create secondary health impacts like increased internal parasite activity. Electrolytes added to a water source after observed heat stress can help replace mineral and electrolyte loss.
Contact your veterinarian if you think your animal has been significantly affected.
By Extension Sustainable Agriculture and Livestock Educator, Rachel White, PhD. UMaine Cooperative Extension
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Maine Farmers Market Price Report is Looking for Farmers to Submit Price Data
Calling all farmers to share data with the Maine Farmers Market Price Report for the 2024 season (the online Report is hosted by UMaine Extension and is available here). This year, the collaborative project (led by MOFGA, MFFM, UMaine, DACF and UMaine Extension) aims to recruit up to 50 producers who sell their vegetables, fruits, herbs, meat, eggs or dairy at farmers markets, statewide, to share their prices directly through a new online reporting tool. If you sign up, we are able to pay you $30 for every 5 submissions of data (once a week for 5 weeks), plus a $50 bonus at the end of the season if you submitted at least for 20 weeks of our 22 week reporting season. All registered participants will receive an email and/or text message every Monday from MFFM, requesting your price data for the previous week’s market via a link to the submission form (and once you’ve submitted for the first time, your previous weeks’ price data will be saved to make it easier). Here in Maine, there continues to be high demand for current farm pricing information, which is valuable to multiple stakeholders including farmers, customers, wholesale buyers, and business development services –please consider participating in providing this useful and essential information!
Register to participate here!
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2024 Pasture Walk Series
Dr. Jaime Garzon, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Forage Specialist, will lead five pasture walks across the state this summer. Come to meet and learn about the production system and forage management of the host farms. These programs will focus on identifying forage species in the field and highlighting climate-smart practices, regenerative grazing, and more.
We welcome local farmers to come out and offer your advice and experiences, as well as to hear what it’s like to work with local ag services. Whether you are a beginner or experienced farmer, or simply interested in the topic, we welcome you!
Pasture Walk in Monmouth - July 10 @ 11:00 am
Pasture Walk in New Vineyard - July 23 @ 11:00 am
Pasture Walk in Searsmont - August 6 @ 11:00 am
Pasture Walk in Freeport, - August 13 @ 11:00 am
Pasture Walk in Thomaston - August 20 @ 11:00 am
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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Cattle. Resources for Understanding the Issue
You have likely heard about the cases of HPAI moving from avian hosts into cattle. Research is still being conducted to fully understand this virus and impacts on animal health and food safety. So far, food safety research is showing that pasteurization of milk is effective in controlling the virus. Cornell is currently conducting research to see if the aging process is adequate to control the virus in aged cheeses when using infected raw milk. We are attaching several resources from trusted hosts for more information.
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Demystifying Organic Certification & USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP)
Virtually on Zoom
Register Here!
June 20th, 6pm-7:30pm
Join MOFGA’s certification director, Chris Grigsby, and Meg Mitchell, MOFGA’s Climate Smart and Organic Transition Specialist, to learn the basics of organic certification as well as demystifying the process and requirements of becoming a certified organic producer. The USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) will also be covered. TOPP, which is part of USDA’s larger Organic Transition Initiative (OTI), aims to offer unprecedented support for farms and producers to transition to organic certification. MOFGA is a core partner in the TOPP northeast group for Maine, through 2027, which includes a mentorship program, technical assistance and support from project partners UMaine Cooperative Extension and Maine Grain Alliance. Learn about becoming a mentor, a transitioning producer (mentee) and other opportunities through USDA’s OTI.
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Meetings - Webinars - Upcoming Events | |
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Sessions preceded by ** are eligible for Pesticide Re-certification Credits.
- June 18: Preparing your Land for Extreme Weather, Stratham, NH
- June 19: No-Till Farming Farm Visit, Bowdoinham
- June 19: Safe Labor Movement, Richmond
- June 19: York County Farmers Network Strawberry Social, Wells
- June 20: Climate Change and Plants: Panel Discussion, South Paris
- June 26: Farmworker Care and Connection, Monmouth
- June 26: Conservation in Action at Bodis Blueberries, Hope
- **June 27: Blueberry Hill Farm Field Day, Jonesboro
- July 9: Small Tools for Small-Scale Farming Farm Visit, Farmington
- July 10: Conservation in Action at Garrett Klinger's Farm, Otisfield
- July 10: Pasture Walk and Forage Workshop, Monmouth
- July 15 & 16: Quality Assurance and Regulations HACCP Training Course, Augusta
- July 18, 19: In-Person Meat and Poultry HAACP Training, Augusta
- July 23: Pasture Walk and Forage Workshop, New Vineyard
- July 24: Conservation in Action at McDougal Orchards, Sandford
- August 6: Pasture Walk and Forage Workshop, Searsmont
- August 7: Conservation in Action at Wicopy Woods Tree Farm, Sebec
- August 13 Pasture Walk and Forage Workshop, Freeport
- August 20: Pasture Walk and Forage Workshop, Thomaston
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Maple Producers Needed for Industry Survey
Researchers in Maine are trying to better understand the needs of U. S. maple producers. This research is being conducted by Atlantic Corporation and University of Maine Professors Mary Ellen Camire and Qiujie (Angie) Zheng as part of a USDA Acer Access Grant. The online survey will take no more than 20 minutes to complete and will ask questions about your maple business. The first fifty companies to complete the survey will receive a $50.00 check made out to their business. If you have any questions about this project, please contact Professor Camire at 207-581-1627 or camire@maine.edu. This survey is not related to the current NASS survey.
To reach the survey, please visit:
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USDA Ag Marketing Service
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Edited by:
Jason Lilley, Extension Educator, jason.lilley@maine.edu
Rebecca Long, Extension Professional, rebecca.j.long@maine.edu
Brett Johnson, Extension Educator,
brett.w.johnson@maine.edu
Nick Rowley, Extension Professional,
nicholas.rowley@maine.edu
Chris Howard, Maine New Farmers Project, christina.howard@maine.edu
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Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.
Photos by Edwin Remsberg and others.
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Penobscot County
307 Maine Ave Bangor, ME 04401 207-942-7396 or 800-287-1485
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Piscataquis County
207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Cumberland County
(207) 781-6099 or 1-800-287-1471
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Oxford County
207.743.6329 or 1.800.287.1482
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Somerset County
207.474.9622 or 1.800.287.1495
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Androscoggin / Sagadahoc Counties
207.353.5550 or 1.800.287.1458
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In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 Boudreau Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System). 11/22 | | | | |
