Welcome to Maine Climate News

From Dr. George L. Jacobson, Maine State Climatologist

We are pleased to initiate this new resource. With regular features and information about climate in Maine and beyond, Maine Climate News is a joint effort of three of the University of Maine’s well-known units: the Climate Change Institute, Maine Sea Grant, and Cooperative Extension. All of these entities have an emphasis on climate change and its implications for Maine.

The site is intended to provide useful information and perspectives about Maine’s climate. Because climate represents long-term patterns (as opposed to the short-term weather records that are provided daily by the National Weather Service), we will review what is known about the past (paleoclimate), the present (weather data compiled from roughly the past century, the time of modern instrumental measurements), and the future (estimated from computer simulations of various kinds).

Among the regular features of this site we will bring:

1. Updates concerning ongoing research projects of faculty and graduate students at the University of Maine and other partner institutions and organizations;
2. Connections to a variety of sources of information about weather data and climate patterns;
3. A special emphasis on hydrology (precipitation and water flow);
4. A way to ask questions of the Maine State Climatologist and other researchers;
5. Opportunities to be involved in collecting data that can help reveal statewide patterns. For example, many Mainers might like to participate in the CoCoRaHS (Community Cooperative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) program, through which citizens help to collect real-time precipitation data and share that information through an easy-to-use web connection).

Those of us involved in this site welcome ideas you might have for other useful information or services.