Central Somerset storm history

Somerset County averaged 2.18 inches of precipitation in December, approximately 1.5 inches below normal. The rainfall deficits carried over since summer grew to over 7.5 inches, making it the 3rd driest July through December stretch on record. By the end of the month, the county…

Somerset County averaged 2.61 inches of precipitation in November, approximately an inch below normal. The rainfall deficits carried over from summer grew near 6 inches, making it the 3rd driest stretch between July through November on record. By the middle of the month, the coun…

Somerset County averaged 2.53 inches of precipitation in September, approximately an inch below normal. The rainfall deficits carried over from summer grew near 5 inches, making it the 2nd driest stretch between July through September on record. The USDM on September 30th had 23%…

Snow overspread the area in the morning on the 16th when an area of strong warm air advection resulted in a laterally translating band of moderate to heavy snow. This swept through the region by the afternoon of the 16th. Periods of snow continued into the early morning of the 17…

While snow began early in the morning on the 28th, snowfall rates picked up late morning through late afternoon. Snowfall rates where one inch per hour at times. Snow was heavy and wet, clinging to branches and breaking limbs. Power outages increased in the late afternoon, and th…

Snow overspread the area during the evening of the 3rd, heavy at times overnight into the morning of the 4th. The western Maine Mountains were far enough north to be well into the colder portions of the storm, and despite the late season winter event, temperatures remained at or …

Snowfall rates in excess of 1 inch per hour led to snowfall totals ranging between 17 and 22 inches.

Snow moved into the western Maine mountains during the morning of the 16th, and quickly became moderate to heavy. At times during the middle of the day snowfall rates reached 1 inch per hour. By the evening of the 16th snow was tapering off, coming to an end shortly after midnigh…

Precipitation began during the evening of the 9th with a band of heavy snow lifting northeastward out of the western Maine mountains. Snowfall rates were briefly 1 inch per hour, before settling to a steady light to moderate snow. Snowfall rates increased again after midnight and…

Strong southeast wind gusts began the morning of the 18th. While wind gusts remained strong throughout the day, the damaging gusts occurred in several waves in the morning, again at midday, and once more in the evening. The peak gusts were fairly typical of a high wind event duri…

Precipitation began around midday on the 3rd as mostly snow with colder surface air locked in the interior. Upsloping easterly flow allowed the heaviest snow to fall through the Boundary Range. Eventually steady snow tapered to upslope snow showers, which continued for most of th…

Light snow began after midnight on the 28th. By midday snow intensity picked up and became moderate at times through the late afternoon. Otherwise snow remained light and tapered off in the late evening, coming to an end from northwest to southeast. Snowfall totals ranged from 7 …

By morning on the 3rd wind chills were reaching -30 degrees. Ambient air temperatures continued to fall into the double digits below zero with winds gusting in excess of 35 mph. The coldest wind chill values approached -60 degrees, including -59 degrees at Newton Field in Jackman…

A significant downslope windstorm occurred in the western Maine Mountains on the 23rd. With a temperature inversion sitting right around ridgeline, strong to damaging wind gusts were able to mix down the lee side of the higher terrain. For most of the day winds gusted between 40 …

Light precipitation began on the morning on the 16th. Steady moderate to occasionally heavy snow started relatively quickly after the onset, especially at higher elevations. Southeast flow upsloping into the western Maine Mountains produced significantly more snowfall along the e…

Early in the day on the 12th precipitation was mainly rain, especially in the valleys. By mid morning precipitation rapidly changed over to snow as low pressure developed off the coast of southern New England and colder air filtered in from the north. Snow became heavy at times t…

Snow overspread the Kennebec River Valley early in the morning on the 25th. A hybrid type snow band gradually transitioned into a laterally quasi-stationary band around daybreak. Moderate to occasionally heavy snowfall continued from that time through early afternoon. The snow ta…

Rain changed to snow around 4:00 pm on the 3rd. During the late evening the snow intensity increased and remained moderate at times through daybreak on the 4th. Steady snow continued through the day and tapered off in the evening. Snowfall amounts ranged from 10 to 14 inches.

Light snow began on the morning of the 29th, with the intensity of snowfall picking up after daybreak. An intense band of snow developed around mid morning over southern New England but remained mostly over the Gulf of Maine until midday. The band backed into coastal and Midcoast…

Strong warm air advection forced a laterally translating band of snow into the western Maine mountains during the morning of the 17th. Within a couple hours snow was moderate to heavy. Snowfall rates were near 1 inch per hour for two or three hours leading up to mid morning. The …

Here is a breakdown of the U.S. Drought Monitor across western Maine from the issuance on November 2, 2021. Severe drought (D2) conditions were expanded slightly to the northeast across Somerset county, now totaling 9% areal extent in far western Maine. The moderate drought (D1) …

The moderate (D1) drought conditions across Maine were reduced to a (D0) across portions of southern Oxford, Franklin, and Somerset Counties. Severe drought conditions remain unchanged for the central and northern portions of those counties as they received less rainfall. Between…

Rainfall in August was below normal for most of the region, with above normal rainfall only over southern Maine where drought conditions no longer remain. For the areas in moderate to severe drought, rainfall was 40-70% of normal for the month. Temperatures meanwhile were running…

The July 1 issuance of the U.S. Drought Monitor had 100% of Maine a drought level of D0 or greater. A moderate drought level (D1) or higher was in place for 70% of Maine. Severe drought (D2) conditions were designated for 20% of Maine over portions of Oxford, Franklin, and Somers…

Winds began to sharply increase early in the morning on the 2nd. While strong wind gusts were common over a large portion of the area, damaging wind gusts were most likely in the lee of the taller mountains and ridges. At least one wind gust of 61 knots was measured on a mesonet …

Snow began on the morning of the 16th and continued into the early evening hours. A mild mid January air mass resulted in a strong elevation dependence to snowfall amounts. Snowfall around 10 inches occurred in the higher elevations with totals closer to 3 inches near Moosehead L…

Snow moved into the western Maine mountains just around midnight on the 2nd. Light to moderate snow continued into the early morning hours of the 2nd before tapering off. Precipitation was predominantly snow but some sleet or freezing rain mixed in at times. Towards mid-morning s…

Snow moved into the western Maine mountains afternoon on the 5th. Snow became moderate to occasionally heavy on northern edge of the precipitation shield through the late evening. Warmer temperatures in the lower elevations resulted in significantly less snow in some valleys than…

Drought maintained through the beginning of October with no significant rainfall across the region. Things changed on October 13th when a significant rainstorm brought widespread rainfall across the region. Another significant rainstorm occurred on October 16-17th with more benef…

Drought continued to expand and intensified through the month of September with the state of Maine recording the driest September on record. D2 severe drought expanded to cover all of Western Maine by the end of the month. In addition, an area of D3 extreme drought developed acro…

Severe drought developed in North Central Somerset County during the month of August as short term drought conditions continued to worsen and intensify across the county in August. This region experienced one of the driest late spring through summer periods on record with rainfal…

Rain changed to snow across central Somerset County during the night of the 8th and accumulated anywhere between 3 and 7 inches by midday. 6.5 inches fell in Caratunk with 3 inches falling in Bingham.

Precipitation overspread central Somerset County during the morning of the 9th as mostly rain at the lower elevations, and some snow in the mountains. Temperatures gradually cooled into the upper 30s, but by late afternoon heavier precipitation moved in, temperatures fell to the …

A mid level warm front lifting northward brought snow showers to the area for much of the day on the 26th. A break in precipitation occurred overnight followed by a large area of heavy precipitation moving in before dawn on the 27th. Heavy, wet snow came down for most of the firs…

Light snow began on the morning of the 18th ahead of an approaching front. During the afternoon snow became moderate to heavy at times when a secondary wave developed near the southern New England coast. Snow quickly came to an end in the evening, but not before 6 to 7 inches of …

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 s…

Precipitation began as wet snow in the western Maine mountains and remained mostly snow as secondary low pressure developed in the Gulf of Maine. Snow became heavy at times during the evening of the 27th, with numerous reports of thunder snow from the White Mountains through Carr…

By midday on the 24th precipitation overspread the western Maine mountains. Strong lift helped cool a marginal air mass so that any rain or mix flipped to moderate to heavy snow in the afternoon and evening. Total snow accumulations were generally in the 6 to 8 inch range.

Snow began late on the 21st but did not become heavy at times until early on the 22nd. With a warmer late season boundary layer a combination of dynamic, evaporational, and upslope cooling allowed precipitation to stay mostly snow in the mountains of western Maine. Lower elevatio…

Snow began in the evening and quickly became moderate to heavy in the late evening. The snow continued into the morning hours when precipitation quickly ended from west to east. Snow accumulations ranged from 8 to 12 inches.

Secondary low pressure developed in the Gulf of Maine late in the evening on the 29th. Snowfall along and to the north of its track intensified through the early morning hours on the 30th. Snow quickly ended from west to east in the morning. Snowfall totals ranged from 5 to 8 inc…

Heavy snow moved into the western Maine mountains in the early morning hours and continued through the afternoon. Mixed precipitation stayed to the south, and snowfall totals ranged from 12 to 15 inches.

A band of heavy snowfall developed on the morning of the 9th and pivoted over the mountains of western Maine. Snow accumulations reached 6 inches or more by midday. Low pressure moving into New Brunswick kept winds northwest over the area into the overnight, and low level moistur…

Steady snow developed on the evening of the 26th. Orographic lifting of southeasterly winds created heavy snow at times in the higher elevations near the Bigelow Range. Once winds became more westerly significant snow accumulation occurred north towards the Canadian border. Storm…

After midnight a band of snow lifted into the mountains of western Maine. Light to moderate snow continued into the morning. The mountains were far enough north to avoid much impact from the dry slot and issues with mixed precipitation. As low pressure strengthened in the Gulf of…

Snow overspread the western Maine mountains early on the morning of the 13th. Snow gradually increased in intensity, with moderate snow developing by mid-morning. In the afternoon temperatures began to warm and snow mixed with rain at times, especially at lower elevations. During…