"Fall" Into Some Warm Maine Beach Weather

Article and photo (of Short Sands Beach, York Beach, Maine), by Eric H.

Before turning over a new leaf by planning ahead your New England travel and vacations into the fall foliage season, consider that summer often lingers on in Maine in the form of some of the season's warmest ocean waters.

Not that every day will bring relatively warm ocean water in the next week or so, but check out the daily forecast and you just might find the ocean temperatures in the low 60s. Yes, that sounds mighty cold for swimming, but, then again, Maine was never known for its Hilton Head Island bath-water-like ocean beaches.

Over the Labor Day weekend, we found the water temperatures at Short Sands Beach in York Beach, Maine, at 61 degrees. The air temperature was 60 degrees. So, jumping into the waters wasn't difficult for us, given the nearly identical water and air temperatures.

If you find a warm to hot day in September, then the Post-Labor Day Weekend bridge between fall and summer is a great time to go swimming. The crowds are also fewer and if you stay until night, the feel of fall is in the air with its slight-to-moderate chill. You really get the best of both Maine seasons in September!