Heavy Snow — Northwest Aroostook, Maine

2023-01-25 to 2023-01-26 · Northwest Aroostook, Maine

Event narrative

Storm total snow accumulations generally ranged from 12 to 16 inches...with localized totals up to 18 inches.

Wider weather episode

Intensifying low pressure approached from the southwest through the early morning hours of the 25th...tracked northeast across the region through the 25th...then exited across the Maritimes during the 26th. Snow expanded across the region through the evening of the 25th into the early morning hours of the 26th. Snow persisted into the afternoon of the 26th across northern areas. Heavy snow occurred along...and to the north of...the low track. The greatest snow accumulations occurred across northern areas...with decreasing totals across central areas. Warning criteria snow accumulations occurred through the morning of the 26th. Storm total snow accumulations across northern areas generally ranged from 10 to 14 inches...locally up to around 18 inches across portions of extreme northwest Aroostook and northern Somerset counties.

The least snow...generally 1 to 3 inches...occurred across Downeast areas where warmer air south of the low track allowed a transition to rain. The rain was heavy at times during the morning of the 26th. Rain totals Downeast ranged from 1.00 to 2.50 inches. Runoff from the rain and melting snow led to standing water and ponding in poor drainage and low lying areas...particularly where storm drains were blocked with snow and ice. The ponding and standing waters impacted some roads.

A strong south/southeast low level jet also moved along the Downeast coast...to the south of the low track. The low level jet crossed the Downeast coast through the early morning into the early afternoon of the 26th. Winds were sustained at 25 to 35 mph...with gusts generally 55 to 65 mph. However gusts up to around 70 mph occurred across coastal Washington county. A gust of 73 mph was measured near Trescott...with a 68 mph gust near Eastport...both in coastal Washington county. The winds brought down trees and snapped branches leading to power outages with downed power lines. Strong winds and heavy rain also contributed to the collapse of an inflatable practice dome at the University of Maine at Orono.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1076151. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.