Alert archive / Maine / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2015

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 17, NWS Caribou, ME

May 28, 2015Aroostook County, Penobscot County, Piscataquis County, Maine

NWS Caribou, ME issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 28, 2015, 1:27 PM EDT for Aroostook County, Penobscot County, Piscataquis County, Maine. It was in force for 63 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 28, 2015, 1:27 PM EDT (17:27 UTC)
Expired
May 28, 2015, 2:30 PM EDT
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS Caribou, ME
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Aroostook County, ME, Penobscot County, ME, Piscataquis County, ME

The radar

The Caribou radar (KCBW), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:29 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 28, 11:54 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Gray, ME (KGYX), launched 12:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 256 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Gray, ME at 12:00Z on 2015-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 60 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Gray, ME at 12:00Z on 2015-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 27 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
60 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-149 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1028 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
27 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
74 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 28, 12:35 PM EDT, 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 28, 12:35 PM EDT, 52 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
1235 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
AFTER A BRIEF BREAK IN HUMIDITY TONIGHT AND FRIDAY BEHIND A WEAK
COLD FRONT...A STRONG SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL REMAIN OFF THE EAST
COAST THROUGH SATURDAY BRINGING A WARM AND HUMID FLOW OF AIR TO
OUR REGION. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION SATURDAY
NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING FOLLOWED BY COOLER DRIER WEATHER LATER
SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
1235 PM UPDATE...SPC COORDINATED W/SURROUNDING WFOS FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH 223 UNTIL 7 PM FOR THE ENTIRE CWA. DAMAGING
WINDS AND HAIL THE MAIN SEVERE THREATS.

FREEZING/WBZ LEVELS DOWN TO 10 K FT. SHEAR AT 30 KTS IN THE 0-6KM
LAYER W/LOWER LCLS AND SOME TURNING IN THE LLVLS. THIS COULD
SUGGEST ROTATION W/ANY STORMS. MIDNIGHT CREW HAS THINGS SET WELL
W/STRONG WIND GUSTS AND HAIL POSSIBLE. UPDATED THE HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK TO HIT THINGS A BIT HARDER. SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE
WEATHER CONTINUES FOR THE ENTIRE CWA.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE
STORMS TODAY. SPC HAS PLACED OUR ENTIRE FORECAST AREA UNDER A
SLIGHT RISK FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WILL
BE GUSTY WINDS, FOLLOWED BY SMALL HAIL.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE COLD FRONT WILL SINK SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY TODAY AND
LOOKS TO DO SO IN 2 PIECES. THE PRIMARY FRONT WILL CROSS INTO
CENTRAL MAINE BY EARLY AFTERNOON, WITH THE SECONDARY FRONT TO
FOLLOW SOON AFTER. THIS PRIMARY FRONT WILL SERVE AS THE MAIN FOCUS
FOR STRONGER STORMS, AS INSTABILITY WILL BE ENHANCED ALONG AND
AHEAD OF ITS MOISTURE GRADIENT. SBCAPES ARE ONCE AGAIN PROGGED TO
REACH INTO THE 1000-1500 J/KG RANGE THIS AFTERNOON, MAINLY SOUTH
OF A HOULTON TO GREENVILLE LINE. THE INFLUENCE OF THE COOL GULF OF
MAINE WATERS WILL LIMIT INSTABILITY ALONG THE COAST. NORTH OF THE
BOUNDARY, SBCAPES WILL BE MODEST, GENERALLY 500-800 J/KG. THIS
WILL STILL BE ENOUGH TO ALLOW CONVECTION TO FIRE ALONG THE
SECONDARY BOUNDARY AS IT CROSSES NORTHERN MAINE. MEANWHILE, 0-6KM
SHEAR WILL INCREASE AS AN UPPER SHORTWAVE AND ITS ASSOCIATED JET
STREAK PUSH OUT OF THE GREAT LAKES AND ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. FAIRLY
UNIDIRECTIONAL BULK SHEAR AROUND 40 KT WILL ALLOW FOR GUSTY WINDS
TO BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. MARGINALLY-SEVERE
HAIL CAN'T BE RULED OUT, EITHER. HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 70S
IN THE NORTH TO THE LOWER 80S ACROSS INTERIOR DOWNEAST. COASTAL
REGIONS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE A BIT COOLER, GENERALLY TOPPING OUT IN
THE MID 60S TO AROUND 70.

FOR TONIGHT...INSTABILITY WILL QUICKLY WANE AS DAYTIME HEATING IS
LOST AND DRIER AIR WORKS IN BEHIND THE SECONDARY FRONT. EXPECT JUST
ABOUT ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO BE OVER BY MIDNIGHT.
TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS WILL DROP INTO THE 40S ACROSS THE
NORTH, MAKING FOR A MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE NIGHT. DOWNEAST AREAS
WILL BE JUST A BIT SLOWER TO DRY OUT, BUT LOWS IN THE LOWER TO
MID 50S STILL AREN'T TOO BAD.

&&

.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
MODELS CONSISTENT THRU THE SHORT TERM FROM YSTDY IN SHOWING A
BRIEF DRYING AND SLIGHTLY COOLER TREND FOR FRI UNDER SFC HI PRES
AND MSLY SUNNY SKIES BEHIND A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE THU EVE...THEN
A RETURN TO MORE HUMID CONDITIONS FRI NGT INTO SAT AS ANOTHER WARM
FRONT CROSSES THE REGION.

AFTWRDS...THE 00Z DTMNSTC GFS AND ECMWF MODEL SOLUTIONS AGAIN
DISAGREE ABOUT THE ARRIVAL TMG AND PASSAGE TMG OF A STRONG COLD
FRONT FROM CNTRL CAN THRU QB PROV FOR THE LATE SAT INTO SUN MORN
PTN OF THE FCST. IT WAS HOPED THE MODELS WOULD BRIDGE THESE
DIFFERENCES...BUT IN FACT THE 00Z GFS IS EVEN A LITTLE FASTER THAN
YSTDY IN BRINGING MORE CLDNSS AND ERLY SHWRS AND TSTMS TO SPCLY
THE NW HLF OF THE FA BY ERLY TO MID AFTN SAT...WHILE THE ECMWF
(AND MOST OF THE OTHER MODELS) KEEP SHWRS AND TSTMS FROM REACHING
OUR FA UNTIL DECIDELY AFT DARK. FOR NOW...WE BLEND THE TMG OF
ONSET BETWEEN THE MODELS... WHICH BRINGS THE LEADING EDGE OF
SHWRS/TSTMS TO THE NW BY MID AFTN AND TO THE NE DURG LATE
AFTN...WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR MSLY SUNNY SKIES FOR A GOOD PTN IF NOT
ALL OF THE DAY ON SAT. GIVEN CLDNSS/ SHWR-TSTM ARRIVAL UNCERTAINTY
SPCLY ACROSS THE NW SAT AFTN...WE LOWERED FCST HI TEMPS A DEG OR
TWO.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
WITH THE FASTER TMG OF THE COLD FRONT BY THE GFS...FCST SBCAPES
HAVE INCREASED FOR THE LATE AFTN INTO EVE PD SAT...SO WE MENTION
TSTMS DURING THIS TM...BUT WILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW ON ANY ENHANCED
WORDING UNTIL WE GET BETTER CONSENSUS OF THE ARRIVAL AND PASSAGE
OF THE COLD FRONT. OTHERWISE...SHWRS AND ANY REMAINING TSTMS WILL
MOVE SWRD THRU THE NGT SAT NGT...REACHING THE DOWNEAST COAST LATE
SAT NGT. WITHE BOTH MODELS NOW INDICATING A LITTLE SLOWER PASSAGE
OF THE COLD FRONT...WE ADDED PATCHY FOG LATE SAT NGT INTO SUN MORN
TO DOWNEAST MAINE.

AFT ABOUT 0.50 TO 0.70 INCHES OF AVG BASIN WIDE RNFL...THE
CURRENT CONSENSUS OF THE MODELS ENDS SHWRS N TO S ACROSS THE N HLF
OF THE FA SUN MORN AND THE S HLF SUN AFTN...FOLLOWED BY AT LEAST
PRTL CLRG SUN AFTN AND SUN NGT FOR EACH HLF RESPECTFULLY. HI TEMPS
SUN WILL BE MUCH COOLER ACROSS THE N...FOLLOWED BY CHILLY OVRNGT
LOWS SUN NGT UNDER DIMINISHING WINDS...WHERE PATCHY FROST CANNOT
BE RULED OUT ACROSS NW RVR VLY AREAS BY DAYBREAK MON. ANOTHER COOL
DAY IS XPCTD ON MON...THEN TEMPS WILL SLOWLY RECOVER TUE INTO WED
UNDER PTLY TO MSLY SUNNY SKIES AS A LARGE SFC HI PRES MOVES ESE
FROM CNTRL CAN TO SE OF THE MARITIMES.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
NEAR TERM: OUTSIDE OF LOCAL MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS IN PATCHY FOG
THROUGH 12Z THIS MORNING, EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER
THE NEXT 24 HOURS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION FROM
NORTH TO SOUTH. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY
WINDS, SMALL HAIL, AND CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING. CONDITIONS WILL
LIKELY BRIEFLY DROP TO MVFR OR EVEN IFR IN ANY THUNDERSTORMS.

SHORT TO LONG TERM: VFR FRI THRU SAT ALL TAF SITES...THEN CLGS AND
VSBYS LOWERING TO AT LEAST MVFR FROM N TO S ACROSS THE TAF SITES
WITH SHWRS SAT NGT...CONTG OVR DOWNEAST SITES SUN AS NRN TAF
SITES RECOVER BACK TO VFR. IFR VSBYS POSSIBLE WITH HEAVIER
DOWNPOURS AND/OR PATCHY FOG LATE SAT NGT INTO ERLY SUN MORN.
ALL SITES SHOULD RECOVER TO VFR BY SUN NGT AND CONT SO THRU MON.

&&

.MARINE...
NEAR TERM: THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL THIS
EVENING. WAVES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING 5-7 FT AND WILL REMAIN SO
THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY. OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 25 KT WILL BE POSSIBLE
AS WELL. EXPECT CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE THIS EVENING ONCE A COLD
FRONT CROSSES THE WATERS.

SHORT TO LONG TERM: INITIALLY NO HDLNS THRU FRI EVE...WITH SW
WINDS AND WV HTS INCREASING LATE FRI NGT AND SAT MORN TO POTENTIAL
SCA CONDITIONS...PARTICULARLY OVR THE OUTER MZS SAT AFT THRU SAT
NIGHT. AT LEAST PATCHY MARINE FOG IS POSSIBLE SAT NGT INTO SUN
MORN. WINDS AND SEAS SHOULD THEN DIMINISH BLO SCA CONDITIONS ON
SUN BEHIND THE FRONT. WENT WITH ABOUT 80-90 PERCENT OF WW3 WV
GUIDANCE HTS FOR THE SHORT TO LONG TERM THIS UPDATE.

&&

.CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ME...NONE.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR ANZ050-
     051.

&&

NEAR TERM...HEWITT
Hazardous weather outlook, May 28, 10:40 AM EDT, 2 hours 47 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
1040 AM EDT THU MAY 28 2015

MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-031-032-291445-
NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK-NORTHEAST AROOSTOOK-NORTHERN SOMERSET-
NORTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN PENOBSCOT-SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK-
CENTRAL PISCATAQUIS-CENTRAL PENOBSCOT-SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT-
INTERIOR HANCOCK-CENTRAL WASHINGTON-SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS-
NORTHERN WASHINGTON-
1040 AM EDT THU MAY 28 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...EASTERN
MAINE...FAR NORTHERN MAINE...INTERIOR DOWNEAST MAINE...NORTH
CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL MAINE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY
EVENING...

ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE STORMS IS EXPECTED
ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN, CENTRAL, AND INTERIOR DOWNEAST MAINE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STRONG WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58 MPH,
HAIL, AND HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE STRONGER STORMS.
SOME STRONGER STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR ROTATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

MEZ029-030-291445-
COASTAL HANCOCK-COASTAL WASHINGTON-
1040 AM EDT THU MAY 28 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR COASTAL DOWNEAST MAINE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS
AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL AND SOME GUSTY WINDS, BUT SEVERE WEATHER
IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

ANZ050>052-291445-
COASTAL WATERS FROM EASTPORT, ME TO SCHOODIC POINT, ME OUT 25 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT, ME TO STONINGTON, ME OUT 25 NM-
INTRA COASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT, ME TO STONINGTON, ME-
1040 AM EDT THU MAY 28 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

HEWITT

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 28, 10:29 AM EDT, 2 hours 58 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
1029 AM EDT THU MAY 28 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0530 PM     TSTM WND DMG     8 S SAINT AGATHA        47.13N 68.31W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN AT INTERSECTION OF 161 AND 162. ROAD BLOCKED
            BETWEEN CROSS LAKE AND SINCLAIR.

0530 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MADAWASKA               47.36N 68.32W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES REPORTED ON POWER LINES

0540 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 S SAINT AGATHA        47.16N 68.31W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            POWER LINES AND TREES DOWN IN SINCLAIR.

0540 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SAINT AGATHA            47.24N 68.31W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES DOWN IN TOWN AND ALONG LONG
            LAKE. TIME IS ESTIMATED.

0540 PM     TSTM WND DMG     VAN BUREN               47.16N 67.94W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES REPORTED DOWN ON POWER LINES

0545 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NEW SWEDEN              46.94N 68.12W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES REPORTED ON POWER LINES.

0550 PM     TSTM WND DMG     8 S SAINT AGATHA        47.13N 68.31W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SECOND STRONG WIND EVENT BLEW DOWN MANY MORE TREES AROUND
            CROSS LAKE.

0620 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WESTFIELD               46.57N 67.92W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE FELL ON POWER LINE AND CAUGHT FIRE.

0630 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG PRESQUE ISLE            46.68N 68.02W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN IN TOWN.

0630 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG VAN BUREN               47.16N 67.94W
05/27/2015                   AROOSTOOK          ME   POST OFFICE

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN TOWN AND ALONG PORTIONS OF
            US ROUTE 1A.

&&

JAH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 28, 12:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCARAroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis35 min
May 28, 12:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCARAroostook61 min
May 28, 1:07 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCARAroostook, Penobscot38 min
May 28, 1:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCARPenobscot, Piscataquis62 min
May 28, 2:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCARAroostook, Penobscot, Washington43 min
May 28, 4:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCARHancock, Penobscot, Washington66 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Maine, 2015Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2015

Sources

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