Alert archive / Maine / Snow Squall Warnings in 2018

Snow Squall Warning 4, NWS Gray, ME

November 21, 20188 counties in Maine; Carroll County, Grafton County, New Hampshire

NWS Gray, ME issued this snow squall warning at Nov 21, 2018, 3:28 PM EST for 8 counties in Maine; Carroll County, Grafton County, New Hampshire. It was in force for 62 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: Nov 21, 2018, 3:28 PM EST (20:28 UTC)
Expired: Nov 21, 2018, 4:30 PM EST
In force: 62 min
Issued by: NWS Gray, ME
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Androscoggin County, ME, Cumberland County, ME, Franklin County, ME, Kennebec County, ME, Oxford County, ME, Somerset County, ME, Waldo County, ME, York County, ME, Carroll County, NH, Grafton County, NH

The radar

The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 49 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:30 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 nearest sounding before it

Gray, ME (KGYX), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 49 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: 1047 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 77 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 131 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 snow squall warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Gray, ME wrote its last area forecast discussion before this snow squall warning went out at Nov 21, 2:15 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 21, 2:15 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Gray ME
215 PM EST Wed Nov 21 2018

.SYNOPSIS...
Very cold air will be ushered into the region tonight in the
wake of an arctic front. This will likely mean a record cold
Thanksgiving day. High pressure will build in from the west
Thursday night then crest over the region on Friday. The high
will shift offshore Friday night and will hold there through
Saturday. Low pressure is expected to develop south of New
England and move northeast Saturday night and Sunday. This may
bring a mixed bag of precipitation to the area. Another system
will likely follow suit Monday into Tuesday.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
An arctic cold front moves through by early this evening.
Scattered snow showers and a few snow squalls accompanying the
front. Behind the FROPA gusty NW winds develop with clearing
across all downsloping areas with clouds and scattered snow
showers lingering in the mtns. Temps will plummet later tonight
and combined with the winds needed to issue a wind chill
advisoryfor the mtn areas of NH/ME due to wind chills reach
-20 to -29 degs. Went with the colder models for temps.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
Thanksgiving day will be a brutally cold day with record mini max
temps likely. A broad upper low that will produce a strong
cyclonic flow and also to usher in temps straight from the
arctic. Gusty Northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph will produce wind
chills more reminiscent of mid winter. Wind chill values of 5
below to 15 below for the mountains...and 5 above to 5 below
elsewhere. Actual air temperatures will max out in the single
numbers in the mtns and teens elsewhere. Clouds and scattered
snow showers will continue in the mountains while downsloping
areas become mostly sunny.

The brutal cold will continue into Thu night with dry conditions
but still some gusty winds.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
High pressure crests over the region on Friday allowing for
diminishing winds and a bit warmer temperatures. Thereafter,
there are two potential systems of interest. The first continues
to be Saturday night and Sunday where low pressure is expected
to develop south of New England and move northeast. This is a
tricky situation with marginal temperatures profiles. Therefore,
we could see a mixed bag in many areas, with rain looking more
likely for southernmost zones. We'll continue to monitor that as
the situation remains fluid. The next system looks to be fairly
similar and would affect our region early next week. The weather
pattern continues to be very active.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
Short Term /through Thursday night/...VFR conditions variable to IFR
in scattered snow showers into the early evening then VFR
through Thu night except in the mountains and foothills where
MVFR conditions in sct -shsn continues. Stg gusty NW winds
expected.

Long Term...VFR Friday and Friday night followed by lowering
conditions late in the day Saturday with IFR expected Saturday
night into Sunday as low pressure brings a mixed bag of
precipitation to the region.

&&

.MARINE...
Short Term /through Thursday night/...Strong gales tonight into Thu
night...and may approach storm force in gusts outside the bays
at times by Thursday.

Long Term...Winds and seas rapidly subside Friday with high
pressure moving it. Fairly tranquil winds and seas expected
Saturday. Winds and seas once again increase late in the weekend
and early next week with at least two low pressure systems
slated to affect the waters.

&&

.GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ME...Wind Chill Advisory from 1 AM to 10 AM EST Thursday for
     MEZ007>009.
NH...Wind Chill Advisory from 1 AM to 10 AM EST Thursday for
     NHZ001>004.
MARINE...Gale Warning until 1 AM EST Friday for ANZ150>154.

&&

NEAR TERM...Schroeter/Marine
SHORT TERM...Schroeter/Marine
LONG TERM...Ekster

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 21, 2:51 PM EST, 37 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Nov 21, 1:36 PM EST, 1 hour 52 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Gray ME
136 PM EST Wed Nov 21 2018

MEZ007-008-NHZ001>004-211930-
Northern Oxford-Northern Franklin-Northern Grafton-Northern
Coos-Southern Coos-Northern Carroll-
136 PM EST Wed Nov 21 2018

...A SNOW SQUALL WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN OXFORD...WEST CENTRAL
FRANKLIN...COOS AND NORTHEASTERN GRAFTON COUNTIES...

At 135 PM EST, a snow squall was located along a line extending from
12 miles east of Pittsburg to near Lunenburg to near Barnet. Movement
was east at 30 mph.

Winds in excess of 30 mph are possible with this squall along with
very slippery travel. Visibilities will briefly drop to below one
quarter mile.

Locations impacted include...
Berlin, Littleton, Lancaster, Bethlehem, Colebrook, Lincoln,
Rangeley, Haverhill, Franconia, Andover, Carrabassett Valley, Errol,
Grafton, Dixville, Stratford, Mount Washington, Newbury Village,
Wells River Village, Woodstock and Guildhall.

This includes Interstate 93 between mile markers 99 and 131.

This also includes...
  Crawford Notch State Park, Franconia Notch, Umbagog Lake State
Park, First Connecticut Lake, and Kilkenny Ridge Trail.

Use extra caution if you must travel into or through this dangerous
snow squall. Rapid changes in visibility and potentially slick roads
are likely to lead to accidents. Consider delaying travel until the
squall passes your location.

LAT...LON 4428 7206 4432 7203 4435 7182 4440 7179
      4441 7171 4449 7163 4448 7163 4450 7158
      4456 7160 4456 7156 4459 7154 4471 7160
      4511 7128 4506 7035 4438 7107 4397 7173
      4409 7205 4413 7203 4419 7206 4424 7205
TIME...MOT...LOC 1835Z 287DEG 28KT 4501 7115 4449 7167 4428 7207

Special weather statement, Nov 21, 2:46 PM EST, 42 minutes before

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The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Nov 21, 1:54 PM EST	Wind Chill Advisory	GYX	Franklin, Oxford, Somerset	20 hr
Nov 21, 2:37 PM EST	Snow Squall Warning	GYX	Franklin, Oxford, Somerset	56 min
Nov 21, 3:50 PM EST	Snow Squall Warning	GYX	Androscoggin, Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, York	55 min
Nov 21, 4:15 PM EST	Snow Squall Warning	GYX	Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Somerset and 1 more	60 min
Nov 21, 5:16 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	GYX	Knox, Lincoln	44 min
Nov 21, 1:36 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	GYX	Coos	54 min
Nov 21, 1:51 PM EST	Snow Squall Warning	GYX	Coos, Grafton	54 min
Nov 21, 2:46 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	GYX	Cheshire	44 min
Nov 21, 3:16 PM EST	Snow Squall Warning	GYX	Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Strafford and 1 more	42 min
Nov 21, 3:42 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	GYX	Rockingham	48 min

Nearby

Snow Squall Warnings in Maine, 2018 Snow Squall Warnings in New Hampshire, 2018 Every snow squall warning in 2018

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.