Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Interior Hancock, Maine

2023-02-03 to 2023-02-04 · Interior Hancock, Maine

Event narrative

Minimum wind chill values ranged from 40 to 50 below zero.

Wider weather episode

An Arctic cold front crossed the region during the early morning hours of the 3rd. Temperatures rapidly fell through the 3rd in the wake of the front. A tight pressure gradient between Arctic high pressure and low pressure intensifying across the Gulf of Saint Lawrence supported increasing winds. Dangerous wind chills developed with the falling temperatures and increasing winds. The strongest winds and lowest wind chills occurred through the night of the 3rd into the morning of the 4th. During this time winds were sustained at 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 45 to 60 mph. Wind chills across northern areas generally ranged from 50 to 60 below zero. Wind chills across Downeast areas generally ranged from 40 to 50 below zero. These represented the coldest wind chill values in over 30 years for some areas. High temperatures remained below zero across northern areas during the 4th...with around zero to the single digits above zero Downeast. Winds gradually diminished through the afternoon of the 4th. The extreme cold led to tree damage Downeast due to ice formation and expansion within the trees. Several reports of ice quakes were also received due to freezing of ground moisture.

The strong winds also caused extensive blowing and drifting snow across open agricultural areas of northern Maine. Whiteouts occurred at times along with near ground blizzard conditions.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1080362. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.