Alert archive / Maine / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Caribou, ME

May 31, 2009Aroostook County, Penobscot County, Maine

NWS Caribou, ME issued this tornado warning at May 31, 2009, 4:38 PM EDT for Aroostook County, Penobscot County, Maine. It was in force for 37 min. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 31, 2009, 4:38 PM EDT (20:38 UTC)
Expired: May 31, 2009, 5:15 PM EDT
In force: 37 min
Issued by: NWS Caribou, ME
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Aroostook County, ME, Penobscot County, ME

The radar

The Caribou radar (KCBW), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:37 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 31, 5:00 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	10 S Masardis, ME	TREES DOWN. SOME TREES TWISTED AND SNAPPED.
May 31, 5:00 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	12 Se Oxbow, ME	12 INCH SPRUCE TREE DOWN ON ROUTE 11.
May 31, 5:00 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	14 Sse Masardis, ME	NUMEROUS TREES UPROOTED. NUMEROUS TREES WERE ALSO SNAPPED AND TWISTED. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
May 31, 5:00 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	8 Ese Oxbow, ME	NUMEROUS TREES UPROOTED. NUMEROUS TREES WERE ALSO SNAPPED AND TWISTED. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
May 31, 5:05 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	12 Se Oxbow, ME	12 INCH SPRUCE TREE DOWN ON ROUTE 11.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this tornado warning; the first came 22 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Caribou, ME (KCAR), launched 12:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 69 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1068 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 76 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WFUS51 KCAR 312038
TORCAR
MEC003-019-312115-
/O.NEW.KCAR.TO.W.0001.090531T2038Z-090531T2115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
438 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CARIBOU MAINE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL PENOBSCOT COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MAINE...
  CENTRAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY IN NORTHERN MAINE...

* UNTIL 515 PM EDT

* AT 434 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO OVER NORTH
  CENTRAL PENOBSCOT COUNTY...OR 19 MILES NORTHWEST OF PATTEN...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  RURAL NORTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY AT 450 PM EDT
  RURAL CENTRAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY AT 450 PM EDT

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER BY CONTACTING YOUR NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

&&

LAT...LON 4646 6836 4631 6822 4622 6823 4619 6863
      4627 6868
TIME...MOT...LOC 2038Z 234DEG 31KT 4627 6856

$$

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS51 KCAR 312111
SVSCAR

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
511 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

MEC003-019-312121-
/O.EXP.KCAR.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-090531T2115Z/
PENOBSCOT ME-AROOSTOOK ME-
511 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL AROOSTOOK AND NORTH CENTRAL
PENOBSCOT COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 515 PM EDT...

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER BY CONTACTING YOUR NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

LAT...LON 4646 6836 4631 6822 4622 6823 4619 6863
      4627 6868
TIME...MOT...LOC 2111Z 234DEG 31KT 4643 6823

$$

WALKER

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Caribou, ME wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 31, 4:10 PM EDT, 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 4:10 PM EDT, 28 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
410 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THIS EVENING. HIGH
PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION ON MONDAY. ANOTHER COLD
FRONT WILL CROSS THE STATE MONDAY NIGHT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL
THEN BUILD ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.
&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/...
A THE START OF THE PERIOD A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE CENTERED
OVER EASTERN QUEBEC CANADA WITH A COLD FRONT WILL BE DRAPPED
ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. THE FRONT WILL MOVE EAST
OF THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT AND HIGHER PRESSURE WILL RIDGE IN
BEHIND BRINGING MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES TO THE AREA. EXPECT THE
WINDS OVER NIGHT TO REMAIN AROUND 10 TO 12 KNOTS WHICH WILL PROVE
ENOUGH MIXING TO PREVENT FROST AND THE TEMPERATURES FROM FALLING
BELOW 34 DEGREES. LOADED NAM12 THROUGH PERIOD.
&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
A 992MB LOW WILL BE OVER EASTERN NEW BRUNSWICK AT THE START OF THE
PERIOD. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE THROUGH THE DAY AS THE LOW MOVES
EAST AND A WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILD IN DURING THE DAY.
ANOTHER LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES WILL TRACK EAST INTO THE AREA OVR
NIGHT MON. THIS LOW WILL MOVE EAST EARLY TUES EVENING AND ANOTHER
WEAK HIGH PRESS RIDGE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA. A SHORT WAVE
WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA WED MORNING BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF
SHOWERS DURING THE DAY. AND WILL MOVE EAST BY THE END OF THE
PERIOD. LOADED THE GFS...NAM...SREF THROUGH TUE GFS...SREF...THROUGH
THE END OF PERIOD.
&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
AN EXITING LOW OVER THE CANADIAN MARITIMES AND A HIGH PRESSURE
RIDGE BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST WILL BE THE MAIN WEATHER FEATURES
AT THE START OF THE LONG TERM. A LOW AND ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM
WILL TRACK SOUTH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GULF OF MAINE WATERS EARLY
THURS AS THE HIGH BUILDS ACROSS THE REGION. THE HIGH WILL RIDGE
SOUTHEAST INTO THE NORTH ATLANTIC OVERNIGHT FRI AS THE NEXT LOW
PRESS SYSTEM DEEPENS ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD. THIS LOW WILL
MOVE INTO THE COASTAL WATER OVERNIGHT FRI AND INTO THE COASTAL
ZONES BY EARLY ON SAT. THE LOW WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE CANADIAN
MARITIMES EARLY SUN MORNING. A SECONDARY LOW OVER QUEBEC WILL KEEP
THE WEATHER UNSETTLED ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE END OF THE
PERIOD. LOADED GMOS THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD.
&&

.AVIATION /20Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME TO AN END THIS
EVENING. AFTER 02Z. MVFR COND ALL SITES THROUGH 02Z WITH SCT SHRA
AND TSRA LOWERING CONDITIONS TO IFR...TO LIFR IN VCNTY OF TSTMS.
AFTER 02Z CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE TO MVFR AT ALL SITES. STARTING
WITH BHB...BGR. THEN MOVING NORTH AS THE SHRA/TSRA MOVE EAST.
&&

.MARINE...
SCA CONDTIONS STILL LOOK GOOD FROM MID TO 6AM. AN SCA MAY AGAIN BE
NEEDED AFT 06Z TUE TO 18Z TUE. BELOW SCA CONDTION AFT 18Z TUE
THROUGH THE END OF PERIOD.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS NORTHERN MAINE EXPECT SUBSTANTIAL
RISES IN SMALL STREAMS ACROSS THE AREA. AFFECTED AREAS INCLUDE
NORTHEAST AND NORTHWESTERN AROOSTOOK...NORTHERN
SOMERSET...PISCATAQUIS...AND NORTHERN PENOBSCOT.
&&

.CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ME...NONE.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 AM EDT MONDAY
     FOR ANZ050>052.

&&

NEAR TERM...MWALKER
SHORT TERM...HEWITT
LONG TERM...NORTON
AVIATION...MWALKER
MARINE...MWALKER/HEWITT
HYDROLOGY...NORTON

Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 4:27 PM EDT, 11 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
427 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

MEZ001>006-010-011-031-032-012030-
NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK-NORTHEAST AROOSTOOK-NORTHERN SOMERSET-
NORTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN PENOBSCOT-SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK-
CENTRAL PISCATAQUIS-CENTRAL PENOBSCOT-SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS-
NORTHERN WASHINGTON-
427 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...NORTH
CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE...SOUTHEAST MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL
MAINE.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THE STORM PREDICTION IN CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS PLACED THE
AREA IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER TODAY INTO THE EVENING.
THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING
DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLY HAIL THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH OR LARGER.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.

MEZ015>017-029-030-012030-
SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT-INTERIOR HANCOCK-CENTRAL WASHINGTON-
COASTAL HANCOCK-COASTAL WASHINGTON-
427 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE AND
SOUTHEAST MAINE.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

ANZ050>052-012030-
COASTAL WATERS FROM EASTPORT ME TO SCHOODIC POINT ME OUT 25 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT ME TO STONINGTON ME OUT 25 NM-
INTRACOASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT ME TO STONINGTON ME-
427 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Caribou, ME issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 31, 3:59 AM EDT	Small Craft Advisory	CAR		35 hr
May 31, 2:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Piscataquis, Somerset	43 min
May 31, 3:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook, Piscataquis, Somerset	42 min
May 31, 4:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis	44 min
May 31, 4:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook, Penobscot	27 min
May 31, 5:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook	45 min
May 31, 5:25 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAR	Aroostook	35 min
May 31, 6:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAR	Aroostook	19 min
May 31, 6:19 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CAR	Aroostook	3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Maine, 2009 Every tornado warning in 2009 Tornadoes in 2009

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.