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==Geography== Bangor is located at {{Coord|44.8|-68.8|type:city}}.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|34.59|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|34.26|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.33|sqmi|sqkm|2}} 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=November 23, 2012}}</ref> A potential advantage that has always eluded exploitation is the city's location between the port city of [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]], Nova Scotia, and the rest of Canada (as well as New York). As early as the 1870s, the city promoted a Halifax-to-New York railroad, via Bangor, as the quickest connection between North America and Europe (when combined with steamship service between Britain and Halifax). A [[European and North American Railway]] opened through Bangor, with President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] officiating at the inauguration, but commerce never lived up to the potential. More recent attempts to capture traffic between Halifax and [[Montreal]] by constructing an [[East–West Highway (New England)|East–West Highway]] through Maine have also come to naught. Most overland traffic between the two parts of Canada continues to travel north of Maine rather than across it.<ref name='Clancey'/> ===Urban development=== ====Fires==== Major fires struck the downtown in 1856,<ref>''The New York Times'', "The Bangor Fires", July 1, 1856, p. 1</ref> 1869,<ref>''Hartford Weekly Times'', January 9, 1869, p. 1</ref> and 1872,<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1872/10/13/79199160.pdf The Bangor Fire] ''The New York Times'', October 13, 1872</ref> the last resulting in the erection of the [[Adams-Pickering Block]]. In the [[Great Fire of 1911]] Bangor lost its high school, post office & custom house, public library, telephone and telegraph companies, banks, two fire stations, nearly a hundred businesses, six churches, and synagogue and 285 private residences over a total of 55 acres (23 ha.) The area was rebuilt, and in the process became a showplace for a diverse range of architectural styles, including the [[Mansard roof|Mansard style]], [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux Arts]], [[Greek Revival architecture|Greek Revival]] and [[Colonial Revival architecture|Colonial Revival]],<ref name=cvb-heritage/> and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as the [[Great Fire of 1911 Historic District]]. ====Urban renewal==== The destruction of downtown landmarks such as the old city hall and train station in the late 1960s [[urban renewal]] program is now considered to have been a mistake. It ushered in a decline of the city center that was accelerated by the construction of the [[Bangor Mall]] in 1978 and subsequent big-box stores on the city's outskirts.<ref name="urbanrenewal">{{cite web |title=Urban Renewal |url=http://bangorinfo.com/Focus/focus_urban_renewal.html |website=Bangor Info |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref> Downtown Bangor began to recover in the 1990s, with bookstores, café/restaurants, galleries, and museums filling once-vacant storefronts.<!-- link doesn't appear to address recovery: [http://www.downtownbangor.com/]--> The recent re-development of the city's waterfront has also helped re-focus cultural life in the historic center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bangormaine.gov/bd_mdi_waterfront.php|title=Major Development Initiatives: Waterfront Redevelopment|publisher=City of Bangor|access-date=February 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222121706/http://www.bangormaine.gov/bd_mdi_waterfront.php|archive-date=February 22, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> ===Hydrology=== [[File:1992USCGCSwivel.jpg|thumb|[[Icebreaker|Ice breaking]] on the [[Penobscot River]]]] Bangor is on the banks of the Penobscot River, close enough to the Atlantic Ocean to be influenced by tides. Upstream, the Penobscot River [[drainage basin]] occupies {{convert|8570|sqmi}} in northeastern Maine. Flooding is most often caused by a combination of precipitation and [[snowmelt]]. [[Ice jam]]s can exacerbate high flow conditions and cause acute localized flooding. Conditions favorable for flooding typically occur during the spring months.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maine River Basin Report|url=https://www.maine.gov/dacf/flood/docs/maineriverbasin/maineriverbasinreport_chap3.pdf|access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> In 1807 an ice jam formed below Bangor Village, raising the water 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.7 m) above the normal highwater mark<ref name=usgs>{{cite journal|last1=Thomson|first1=M|last2=Gannon|first2=W|last3=Thomas|first3=M|last4=Hayes|first4=G|title=Historical Floods in New England|journal=US Geological Survey|year=1964|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/1779m/report.pdf|access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> and in 1887 the freshet caused the [[Maine Central Railroad Company]] rails between Bangor and [[Vanceboro, Maine|Vanceboro]] to be covered to a depth of several feet.<ref name=usgs/> Bangor's worst ice-jam floods occurred in 1846 and 1902. Both resulted from mid-December [[freshet]]s that cleared the upper river of ice, followed by cold that produced large volumes of [[frazil ice]] or slush which was carried by high flows, forming a major ice jam in the lower river. In March of both years, a dynamic breakup of ice ran into the jam and flooded downtown Bangor. Though no people died and the city recovered quickly, the 1846 and 1902 ice-jam floods were economically devastating, according to the Army Corps analysis. Both floods occurred with multiple dams in place and little to no ice-breaking in the lower river. The [[United States Coast Guard]] began [[icebreaker]] operations on the Penobscot in the 1940s, preventing the formation of frozen ice jams during the winter and providing an unobstructed path for ice-out in the spring.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Schmitt|first1=Catherine|title=Ice-out on the Penobscot|date=April 6, 2015|url=http://www.seagrant.umaine.edu/blog/ice-out|access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> Long-term temperature records show a gradual warming since 1894, which may have reduced the ice-jam flood potential at Bangor. In the [[Groundhog Day gale of 1976]], a [[storm surge]] went up the Penobscot, flooding Bangor for three hours.<ref>{{cite journal |publisher= Maine State Climate Office |journal= The Maine Climate |date= March 2002}}</ref> At 11:15 am, waters began rising on the river and within 15 minutes had risen a total of {{convert|3.7|m|ft|order=flip}}, flooding downtown. About 200 cars were submerged and office workers were stranded until waters receded. There were no reported deaths during this unusual [[flash flood]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.erh.noaa.gov/gyx/bangor_flood.htm |access-date= February 10, 2015 |title= The Great Bangor Storm Surge Flash Flood |publisher= National Weather Service}}</ref> ===Climate=== Bangor has a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfb''), with cold, snowy winters, and warm summers, and is in USDA [[hardiness zone]] 5a.<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|18.5|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|69.5|°F|1}} in July.<ref name = NOAA/><ref name=NCEI/> On average, there are 20 nights annually that drop to {{convert|0|°F|0}} or below, and 55 days where the temperature stays below freezing, including 49 days from December through February.<ref name = NOAA/> There is an average of 6.1 days annually with highs at or above {{convert|90|°F|0}}, with the 2014 the last year not to have seen such high temperatures.<ref name = NOAA/><ref name=NCEI/> Extreme temperatures range from {{convert|−32|°F|0}} on February 10, 1948, up to {{convert|104|°F|0}} on August 19, 1935.<ref name = NOAA/> The average first freeze of the season occurs on October 7, and the last May 7, resulting in a freeze-free season of 152 days; the corresponding dates for measurable snowfall, i.e. at least {{convert|0.1|in|cm|abbr=on}}, are November 23 and April 4.<ref name = NOAA/> The average annual snowfall for Bangor is approximately {{convert|74.6|in|cm}}, while snowfall has ranged from {{convert|22.2|in|cm}} in 1979–80 to {{convert|181.9|in|m|sigfig=3}} in 1962−63; the record snowiest month was February 1969 with {{convert|58.0|in|cm}}, while the most snow in one calendar day was {{convert|30.0|in|cm}} on December 14, 1927.<ref name = NOAA/> A snow depth of at least {{convert|3|in|cm|abbr=on}} is on average seen 66 days per winter, including 54 days from January to March, when the snow pack is typically most reliable.<ref name=NCEI/> {{Weather box |location = [[Bangor International 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 1925–present) |single line = Y |Jan record high F = 63 |Feb record high F = 65 |Mar record high F = 84 |Apr record high F = 90 |May record high F = 96 |Jun record high F = 98 |Jul record high F = 99 |Aug record high F = 104 |Sep record high F = 99 |Oct record high F = 92 |Nov record high F = 75 |Dec record high F = 65 |year record high F = 104 |Jan avg record high F = 48.9 |Feb avg record high F = 47.7 |Mar avg record high F = 57.9 |Apr avg record high F = 73.0 |May avg record high F = 84.6 |Jun avg record high F = 90.2 |Jul avg record high F = 91.5 |Aug avg record high F = 90.3 |Sep avg record high F = 86.0 |Oct avg record high F = 73.8 |Nov avg record high F = 63.5 |Dec avg record high F = 54.1 |year avg record high F = 93.9 |Jan high F = 28.1 |Feb high F = 31.2 |Mar high F = 40.1 |Apr high F = 53.2 |May high F = 65.7 |Jun high F = 74.7 |Jul high F = 80.4 |Aug high F = 79.4 |Sep high F = 71.0 |Oct high F = 58.2 |Nov high F = 45.8 |Dec high F = 34.5 |year high F = 55.2 |Jan mean F = 18.5 |Feb mean F = 21.0 |Mar mean F = 30.6 |Apr mean F = 42.8 |May mean F = 54.5 |Jun mean F = 63.6 |Jul mean F = 69.5 |Aug mean F = 68.2 |Sep mean F = 59.9 |Oct mean F = 48.2 |Nov mean F = 37.3 |Dec mean F = 25.9 |year mean F = 45.0 |Jan low F = 9.0 |Feb low F = 10.9 |Mar low F = 21.1 |Apr low F = 32.4 |May low F = 43.3 |Jun low F = 52.6 |Jul low F = 58.6 |Aug low F = 57.0 |Sep low F = 48.8 |Oct low F = 38.2 |Nov low F = 28.8 |Dec low F = 17.3 |year low F = 34.8 |Jan avg record low F = -14.1 |Feb avg record low F = -11.2 |Mar avg record low F = -2.1 |Apr avg record low F = 20.3 |May avg record low F = 30.8 |Jun avg record low F = 40.7 |Jul avg record low F = 48.4 |Aug avg record low F = 45.2 |Sep avg record low F = 33.5 |Oct avg record low F = 24.3 |Nov avg record low F = 12.6 |Dec avg record low F = -3.2 |year avg record low F = -16.9 |Jan record low F = −29 |Feb record low F = −32 |Mar record low F = −16 |Apr record low F = 4 |May record low F = 23 |Jun record low F = 29 |Jul record low F = 37 |Aug record low F = 29 |Sep record low F = 23 |Oct record low F = 11 |Nov record low F = −3 |Dec record low F = −27 |year record low F = -32 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 3.17 |Feb precipitation inch = 2.38 |Mar precipitation inch = 3.22 |Apr precipitation inch = 3.61 |May precipitation inch = 3.34 |Jun precipitation inch = 3.87 |Jul precipitation inch = 3.16 |Aug precipitation inch = 3.06 |Sep precipitation inch = 3.76 |Oct precipitation inch = 4.58 |Nov precipitation inch = 3.84 |Dec precipitation inch = 3.72 |year precipitation inch = 41.71 |Jan snow inch = 18.6 |Feb snow inch = 17.5 |Mar snow inch = 15.2 |Apr snow inch = 3.7 |May snow inch = 0.0 |Jun snow inch = 0.0 |Jul snow inch = 0.0 |Aug snow inch = 0.0 |Sep snow inch = 0.0 |Oct snow inch = 0.6 |Nov snow inch = 4.3 |Dec snow inch = 14.7 |year snow inch = 74.6 |Jan snow depth inch = 14.5 |Feb snow depth inch = 16.3 |Mar snow depth inch = 14.2 |Apr snow depth inch = 4.0 |May snow depth inch = 0.0 |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 = 0.1 |Nov snow depth inch = 2.3 |Dec snow depth inch = 8.0 |year snow depth inch = 18.7 |unit precipitation days = 0.01 in |Jan precipitation days = 11.2 |Feb precipitation days = 9.9 |Mar precipitation days = 11.3 |Apr precipitation days = 11.6 |May precipitation days = 12.4 |Jun precipitation days = 12.2 |Jul precipitation days = 10.9 |Aug precipitation days = 9.8 |Sep precipitation days = 9.4 |Oct precipitation days = 11.4 |Nov precipitation days = 11.3 |Dec precipitation days = 12.6 |year precipitation days = 134.0 |unit snow days = 0.1 in |Jan snow days = 8.0 |Feb snow days = 7.6 |Mar snow days = 5.4 |Apr snow days = 1.7 |May snow days = 0.0 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.2 |Nov snow days = 2.0 |Dec snow days = 6.4 |year snow days = 31.3 | Jan humidity =84 | Feb humidity =85 | Mar humidity =84 | Apr humidity =77 | May humidity =77 | Jun humidity =79 | Jul humidity =79 | Aug humidity =79 | Sep humidity =79 | Oct humidity =79 | Nov humidity =78 | Dec humidity =81 | year humidity = | Jand sun =4.6 | Febd sun =4.0 | Mard sun =5.1 | Aprd sun =7.0 | Mayd sun =7.9 | Jund sun =8.6 | Juld sun =9.6 | Augd sun =9.9 | Sepd sun =8.2 | Octd sun =6.2 | Novd sun =4.9 | Decd sun =4.4 | yeard sun = | Jan light = 9.3 | Feb light = 10.5 | Mar light = 12.0 | Apr light = 13.5 | May light = 14.9 | Jun light = 15.5 | Jul light = 15.2 | Aug light = 14.0 | Sep light = 12.5 | Oct light = 10.9 | Nov light = 9.6 | Dec light = 8.9 | year light= | Jan uv =2 | Feb uv =2 | Mar uv =2 | Apr uv =3 | May uv =4 | Jun uv =5 | Jul uv =5 | Aug uv =5 | Sep uv =4 | Oct uv =2 | Nov uv =2 | Dec uv =2 | year uv = |source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name = NOAA> {{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 22, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI> {{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=USW00014606&format=pdf |work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020) |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title = Station: Bangor INTL AP, ME |access-date = May 22, 2021}}</ref> |source 2 = Weather Atlas (UV and humidity)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/maine-usa/bangor-climate | title = Climate and monthly weather forecast Bangor, ME | access-date = August 16, 2022}}</ref> }}
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