Winter Storm — Central Somerset, Maine

2020-02-06 to 2020-02-07 · Central Somerset, Maine

Event narrative

As the mid level warm front moved through the area on the morning of the 6th as steady light snow overspread central Somerset County. A fairly uniform 3 to 4 inches of snow fell before it tapered off by midday. A prolonged period of no precipitation or light freezing drizzle or sleet lasted until the morning off the 7th. It was during the morning hours that a nearly stationary band of moderate to heavy snow develop overhead in response to rapidly strengthening low pressure in the Gulf of Maine. As the band finally moved east in the late afternoon precipitation ended as a brief period of upslope snow showers. Snow totals ranged from 8 to 12 inches.

Wider weather episode

On the morning of the 6th an upper level warm front lifted into the Northeast. Snow overspread western Maine in the early morning and continued into the mid morning before tapering off. With a dry slot overhead steady precipitation came to an end. Broad warm air advection and onshore flow continued for the rest of the day and through the overnight, producing widespread freezing drizzle and occasional sleet. An upper level trough crossed the Great Lakes on the 7th and interacted with the baroclinic zone off the coast. Low pressure rapidly deepened along the front and lifted northeast into the Gulf of Maine. While damaging wind gusts remained south of the area, a band of heavy snow developed in the western Maine mountains. The band moved east during the evening of the 7th and ended as upslope snow showers.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 868344. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.