Editing Caribou, Maine (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|80.10|sqmi|1}}, of which {{convert|79.26|sqmi|1}} is land and {{convert|0.84|sqmi|1}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2012-11-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-07-02 }}</ref> Caribou is located on the northern bend of the [[Aroostook River]] before it heads southeast to join the [[Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)|Saint John River]] just east of [[Fort Fairfield, Maine]].

Caribou is located in the geographical center of Aroostook County, at an [[elevation]] of {{convert|449|ft}} [[Height above mean sea level|above sea level]]. The county is readily accessible by two major highways; [[Interstate 95 in Maine|Interstate 95]] from the south and the [[Trans-Canada Highway]] ([[New Brunswick Route 2]]) from the north and east. In sparsely populated Aroostook County, Caribou is at the hub of spokes serving the area via [[U.S. Route 1 in Maine|U.S. 1]] and Maine State routes [[Maine State Route 89|89]], [[Maine State Route 161|161]], [[Maine State Route 164|164]], [[Maine State Route 205|205]] and [[Maine State Route 228|228]]. In 2013, a bypass was completed just outside the urban limits.

Caribou has a municipal [[airport]], with full east–west and north–south runways. It is primarily used for corporate, hobby, and Civil Air Patrol usage. [[Northern Maine Regional Airport|Presque Isle International Airport]] in [[Presque Isle, Maine|Presque Isle]] serves as the primary hub for air service. Daily flights are scheduled to and from northern Maine on [[jetBlue]] with connections to [[Logan International Airport|Boston Logan International Airport]].

Seaports are also close by in coastal Maine, [[New Brunswick]], and [[Quebec]]. The closest deep-water port is [[Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec]], {{convert|120|mi|km}} north of Caribou, on the [[St. Lawrence River]].

The Eastern Maine Railroad serves Caribou and Aroostook County, also connecting Maine, [[Vermont]] and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick and providing a direct rail link between northern Maine; [[Saint John, New Brunswick]]; and [[Montreal]], Quebec. Given the city's economic and cultural ties with the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, cross-border partnerships and relationships are often a common facet in many businesses.

===Climate===
[[File:Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) - Caribou Area, ME(ThreadEx).svg|thumb|right|Climate chart for Caribou]]
Caribou has a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfb''), with very cold, snowy winters, and mild to warm summers, and is located in USDA [[hardiness zone]] 4b/4a.<ref>{{cite web |title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |author=United States Department of Agriculture |publisher=[[United States National Arboretum]] |url=http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html |accessdate=February 25, 2015 |authorlink=United States Department of Agriculture |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303152208/http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html |archivedate=March 3, 2015 }}</ref> The monthly daily average temperature ranges from {{convert|11.7|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|66.7|°F|1}} in July.<ref name = "NOWData NWS Caribou, ME (CAR)"/> On average, there are 38 nights annually that drop to {{convert|0|°F|0}} or below, and 91 days where the temperature stays below freezing, including 69 days from December through February.<ref name = "NOWData NWS Caribou, ME (CAR)"/> Although 1991–2020 averaged 2 days annually with highs at or above {{convert|90|°F|0}}, more than 35&nbsp;percent of all years on record have not seen such temperatures.<ref name = "NOWData NWS Caribou, ME (CAR)"/> Extreme temperatures range from {{convert|−41|°F|0}} on February 1, 1955, up to {{convert|96|°F|0}} as recently as June 19, 2024.<ref name = "NOWData NWS Caribou, ME (CAR)"/> June 19, 2024 saw a heat index of 103&nbsp;°F during a heat wave that hit the Midwest and New England.<ref>{{cite web |title=It's hotter in northern Maine than Miami right now |url=https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/06/19/weather/heat-wave-caribou-northern-maine-miami/ |website=Bangor Daily News |publisher=AP |access-date=21 June 2024}}</ref>

Precipitation is substantial year-round, with a slight summer maximum, and with fall being wetter than spring. On average, the driest month is February, and the wettest month is July.

The average first freeze of the season occurs on September 23, and the last May 15, resulting in a freeze-free season of 130&nbsp;days; the corresponding dates for measurable snowfall, i.e. at least {{convert|0.1|in|cm|abbr=on}}, are October 23 and April 25.<ref name = "NOWData NWS Caribou, ME (CAR)"/> The average annual snowfall for Caribou is approximately {{convert|118.2|in|m|sigfig=2}}, while snowfall has ranged from {{convert|68.5|in|m|sigfig=3}} in 1961–1962 to {{convert|196.5|in|m|sigfig=3}} in 2007−2008; the record snowiest month was December 1972 with {{convert|59.9|in|m|sigfig=3}}, while the most snow in one calendar day was {{convert|28.6|in|cm}} on March 14, 1984.<ref name = "NOWData NWS Caribou, ME (CAR)"/> Measurable snowfalls typically occur from early November to early April.  A snow depth of at least {{convert|10|in|cm|abbr=on}} is on average seen 78 days per winter, including 63 days from January to March,<ref name="NOAA KCAR"/> when the snow pack is typically most reliable.

{{Weather box 
|location = [[Caribou Municipal Airport]], Maine (1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1939–present)
|single line = y
|Jan record high F = 53
|Feb record high F = 59
|Mar record high F = 75
|Apr record high F = 86
|May record high F = 96
|Jun record high F = 96
|Jul record high F = 95
|Aug record high F = 95
|Sep record high F = 92
|Oct record high F = 82
|Nov record high F = 75
|Dec record high F = 60
|year record high F = 96
|Jan avg record high F = 43.0
|Feb avg record high F = 41.7
|Mar avg record high F = 51.4
|Apr avg record high F = 68.4
|May avg record high F = 81.9
|Jun avg record high F = 86.7
|Jul avg record high F = 88.4
|Aug avg record high F = 87.3
|Sep avg record high F = 82.3
|Oct avg record high F = 71.8
|Nov avg record high F = 60.1
|Dec avg record high F = 47.1
|year avg record high F = 90.4
|Jan high F = 20.8
|Feb high F = 24.1
|Mar high F = 34.3
|Apr high F = 47.7
|May high F = 63.0
|Jun high F = 72.1
|Jul high F = 77.1
|Aug high F = 75.7
|Sep high F = 67.3
|Oct high F = 53.2
|Nov high F = 39.5
|Dec high F = 27.5
|year high F = 50.2
|Jan mean F = 11.7
|Feb mean F = 14.2
|Mar mean F = 25.0
|Apr mean F = 38.5
|May mean F = 52.2
|Jun mean F = 61.4
|Jul mean F = 66.7
|Aug mean F = 64.9
|Sep mean F = 56.6
|Oct mean F = 44.5
|Nov mean F = 32.6
|Dec mean F = 19.9
|year mean F = 40.7
|Jan low F = 2.6
|Feb low F = 4.4
|Mar low F = 15.6
|Apr low F = 29.4
|May low F = 41.4
|Jun low F = 50.6
|Jul low F = 56.3
|Aug low F = 54.1
|Sep low F = 45.9
|Oct low F = 35.9
|Nov low F = 25.6
|Dec low F = 12.3
|year low F = 31.2
|Jan avg record low F = -20.8
|Feb avg record low F = -17.7
|Mar avg record low F = -9.1
|Apr avg record low F = 14.6
|May avg record low F = 29.3
|Jun avg record low F = 37.6
|Jul avg record low F = 45.1
|Aug avg record low F = 41.7
|Sep avg record low F = 31.0
|Oct avg record low F = 22.4
|Nov avg record low F = 7.1
|Dec avg record low F = -10.5
|year avg record low F = -23.0
|Jan record low F = -37
|Feb record low F = -41
|Mar record low F = -28
|Apr record low F = -4
|May record low F = 18
|Jun record low F = 30
|Jul record low F = 36
|Aug record low F = 34
|Sep record low F = 23
|Oct record low F = 14
|Nov record low F = -8
|Dec record low F = -31
|year record low F = -41
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.95
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.42
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.77
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.99
|May precipitation inch = 3.46
|Jun precipitation inch = 3.89
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.23
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.61
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.44
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.99
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.35
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.60
|year precipitation inch = 40.70
|Jan snow inch = 25.0
|Feb snow inch = 25.3
|Mar snow inch = 21.4
|Apr snow inch = 8.3
|May snow inch = 0.8
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.1
|Oct snow inch = 1.7
|Nov snow inch = 10.4
|Dec snow inch = 25.2
|year snow inch = 118.2
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 14.0
|Feb precipitation days = 12.1
|Mar precipitation days = 12.5
|Apr precipitation days = 13.1
|May precipitation days = 14.7
|Jun precipitation days = 13.8
|Jul precipitation days = 14.4
|Aug precipitation days = 13.0
|Sep precipitation days = 11.5
|Oct precipitation days = 13.5
|Nov precipitation days = 13.4
|Dec precipitation days = 14.9
|year precipitation days = 160.9
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 14.0
|Feb snow days = 11.8
|Mar snow days = 10.6
|Apr snow days = 4.9
|May snow days = 0.5
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.1
|Oct snow days = 1.2
|Nov snow days = 6.9
|Dec snow days = 13.0
|year snow days = 63.0
|Jan snow depth inch = 19.7
|Feb snow depth inch = 25.2
|Mar snow depth inch = 24.7
|Apr snow depth inch = 13.5
|May snow depth inch = 0.3
|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0
|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0
|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0
|Sep snow depth inch = 0.0
|Oct snow depth inch = 1.3
|Nov snow depth inch = 5.6
|Dec snow depth inch = 13.5
|year snow depth inch = 28.5
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 69.8
|Feb humidity = 70.8
|Mar humidity = 70.5
|Apr humidity = 74.0
|May humidity = 68.5
|Jun humidity = 67.9
|Jul humidity = 77.1
|Aug humidity = 79.1
|Sep humidity = 82.4
|Oct humidity = 81.8
|Nov humidity = 84.5
|Dec humidity = 79.1
|year humidity = 75.5
|Jan dew point C = -17.9
|Feb dew point C = -15.3
|Mar dew point C = -9.1
|Apr dew point C = -2.7
|May dew point C = 3.3
|Jun dew point C = 9.6
|Jul dew point C = 13.1
|Aug dew point C = 12.3
|Sep dew point C = 8.6
|Oct dew point C = 1.8
|Nov dew point C = -3.2
|Dec dew point C = -10.7
|Jand sun = 9.0
|Febd sun = 10.4
|Mard sun = 12.0
|Aprd sun = 13.6
|Mayd sun = 15.1
|Jund sun = 15.8
|Juld sun = 15.4
|Augd sun = 14.1
|Sepd sun = 12.5
|Octd sun = 10.9
|Novd sun = 9.4
|Decd sun = 8.6
|yeard sun =
|Jan light = 2.5
|Feb light = 2.1
|Mar light = 3.0
|Apr light = 5.2
|May light = 7.3
|Jun light = 8.2
|Jul light = 9.2
|Aug light = 9.4
|Sep light = 7.3
|Oct light = 5.5
|Nov light = 4.0
|Dec light = 3.0
|year light = 
|Jan uv = 1
|Feb uv = 1
|Mar uv = 1
|Apr uv = 2
|May uv = 4
|Jun uv = 5
|Jul uv = 5
|Aug uv = 4
|Sep uv = 3
|Oct uv = 2
|Nov uv = 1
|Dec uv = 1
|year uv =
|source 1 = [[NOAA]] (relative humidity and dew point 1961–1990)<ref name ="NOWData NWS Caribou, ME (CAR)">{{cite web 
|url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=car 
|title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data 
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
|access-date = May 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NOAA KCAR">{{cite web 
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00014607&format=pdf 
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
|title = Station: Caribou Muni AP, ME 
|work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) 
|access-date = May 23, 2021
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230807142904/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00014607&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|archive-date = 2023-08-07}}</ref><ref name= NOAA2>
{{cite web 
|title = WMO climate normals for CARIBOU/MUNICIPAL, ME 1961–1990 
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
|url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP4/72712.TXT
|access-date = September 15, 2023
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230915134000/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP4/72712.TXT
|archive-date = 2023-09-15}}</ref>
|source 2 = Weather Atlas (UV and humidity)<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/maine-usa/caribou-climate
|title = Climate and monthly weather forecast Caribou, ME
|access-date = August 18, 2022}}</ref>
}}
{{Graph:Weather monthly history
| table=Ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Caribou, Maine.tab
| title=Caribou monthly weather statistics
}}