Winter Weather — Southern Penobscot, Maine

2015-02-25 · Southern Penobscot, Maine

Event narrative

Heavy snow...reduced visibilities and slippery roads contributed to a major multi-car accident involving around 100 vehicles. Around 40 injuries occurred...all non-life threatening. The accident occurred around 730 AM...during the morning rush hour...on I-95 just west of Bangor. This was the largest multi-vehicle accident ever in Maine. Storm total snow accumulations generally ranged from 3 to 6 inches. Lighter snows developed during the early morning hours...with increasing intensities through the remainder of the night.

Wider weather episode

Snow developed across Downeast Maine during the overnight hours of the 24th in advance of low pressure lifting along the coast. A secondary low then intensified in the Gulf of Maine during the morning of the 25th with a trof extending back across Downeast Maine. The intensifying low and trof helped focus an area of heavy snow which moved east across Downeast Maine through the morning. Snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour occurred within the area of heavy snow with visibilities reduced to near zero at times. Warning criteria snow accumulations occurred during the morning of the 25th. Storm total snow accumulations generally ranged from 5 to 13 inches. The heavy snow...reduced visibilities and slippery road conditions contributed to a multi-car accident involving around 100 vehicles on I-95 just west of Bangor. Around 40 injuries occurred...all non-life threatening. The accident occurred around 730 AM during the morning rush hour. This was the largest multi-vehicle accident ever in Maine. This was the final major event in an active stretch of winter storms which established all time record 30 day snow totals across portions of Downeast Maine...particularly across portions of Washington county.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 563908. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.