Winter Weather — Interior Hancock, Maine

2024-03-23 to 2024-03-24 · Interior Hancock, Maine

Event narrative

Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 2 to 3 inches south...to 4 to 7 inches north.

Wider weather episode

An intensifying coastal low lifted north to Maine through the 23rd. The low tracked across southeast Maine through the evening of the 23rd...exiting across the Maritimes during the early morning of the 24th. Abundant moisture was drawn north with the low. Snow expanded north across the region through the morning of the 23rd. Snow...heavy at times...then persisted into the early morning hours of the 24th. Precipitation fell in the form of snow across much of the region. However...the snow did transition to a wintry mix across some interior Downeast and central areas. A transition to mostly rain occurred along the Downeast coast. The heaviest snow occurred from the late afternoon of the 23rd into the early morning hours of the 24th. Warning criteria snow accumulations occurred through the late afternoon into the late evening of the 23rd. A persistent deformation band of heavy snow centered from near Greenville in Piscataquis county to Mars Hill in Aroostook county developed during the late afternoon of the 23rd and persisted into the early morning hours of the 24th. Snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour occurred at times within this band. Storm total snow accumulations in this band ranged up to 18 to 29 inches. A sharp gradient of decreasing snow accumulations occurred north of this band. A sharp gradient also existed south of the band due to the snow mixing with sleet and freezing rain. Gusty winds of 30 to 35 mph occurred with this event leading to areas of blowing snow across northern areas which persisted into the morning of the 24th. The combination of wind, heavy wet snow clinging to branches and power lines, and freezing rain led to significant power outages across portions of the Downeast region. Power outages peaked at around 16000 customers, with around 14000 in Hancock county and around 2000 in Penobscot county.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1166386. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.