Heavy Snow — Southern Somerset, Maine

2019-01-19 to 2019-01-20 · Southern Somerset, Maine

Event narrative

A band of light to moderate snow developed over the mountains and foothills of western Maine late in the evening of the 19th in response to warm air advection developing aloft. Then heavy snow moved into area in the early morning hours and continued into the afternoon. Snow changed to sleet and continued for much of the midday. Snowfall totals generally ranged from 8 to 12 inches.

Wider weather episode

Frigid, Canadian high pressure nosed into the Northeast on the 19th and settled there into the first part of the 20th. Low pressure developed in the southern Plains and lifted through the lower Mississippi and then Ohio Valley. Strong warm air advection along the warm front, pinned offshore by the strong high pressure, allowed secondary cyclogensis to occur farther up the Northeast coast as the open wave aloft approached. Heavy snow overspread western Maine early in the morning on the 20th. As warm air advection continued ahead of the upper level wave precipitation changed over predominantly sleet, as far north as the mountains of western Maine, before ending as snow showers.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 795182. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.