Maine More Likely to See a Heat Wave Than a White Christmas This Year

While the calendar doesn't officially agree, winter has already arrived in the minds of most people throughout Maine. The tale of two halves of the state has already shown itself, with central and northern Maine dealing with multiple instances of snow while southern Maine has been mostly inundated with rain.

If you were hoping for a white Christmas anywhere in the Pine Tree State, forecast models are indicating a strong dose of the Grinch. And by 'the Grinch', we mean the strong El Niño weather pattern that will make December feel far more toasty (by winter standards) than normal.

Shared on Twitter by Eric Fisher, long range forecast models are promising a warm up for the back half of December for portions of Canada, as well as much of the midwest and northeast. That includes Maine, where the entire state could be subjected to abnormally warm temperatures through the holiday and into early 2024.

Forecasters have been cautious in too much long range prediction, because a strong El Niño can turn even the most educated forecast upside down. While the models show a lengthy warm period, the cold days will still be around for the remainder of December, just not the bitter cold and snowy days that many people in Maine have grown accustomed to.

But snow lovers, fear not. While December appears to be a dud, the remainder of winter is lining up to be a skier and boarder's dream. As predicted by the Farmers Almanac, forecasters believe the strong El Niño will deliver a series of powerful storms that will drop plenty of snow across Maine in the coming months.

According to SkiMag, an El Niño happens when sea-surface temperatures rise a half-degree from the month prior for five consecutive, three-month periods. El Niño kicked in this past spring, and forecasters believe it will stick around through the upcoming winter. It's led the National Weather Service to warn about a potential warm winter for the northeast.