Alert archive / Maine / Beach Hazards Statements in 2026
Beach Hazards Statement 1, NWS Caribou, ME
NWS Caribou, ME issued this beach hazards statement at May 15, 2026, 1:49 PM EDT for Hancock County, Washington County, Maine. It took effect at May 16, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 12 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 15, 2026, 1:49 PM EDT (17:49 UTC)
- In effect from
- May 16, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT
- Expired
- May 16, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 12 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Caribou, ME
Counties Hancock County, ME, Washington County, ME
The radar
The Caribou radar (KCBW), 142 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:51 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, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 205 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 634 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 109 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 56 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
562 WHUS41 KCAR 151749 CFWCAR Coastal Hazard Message National Weather Service Caribou ME 149 PM EDT Fri May 15 2026 MEZ029-030-170000- /O.NEW.KCAR.BH.S.0001.260516T1200Z-260517T0000Z/ Coastal Hancock-Coastal Washington- 149 PM EDT Fri May 15 2026 ...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING... * WHAT....The warm air temperatures in the upper 60s may cause people to underestimate the dangers of the cold water temperatures which are currently in the low 40s. * WHERE...Coastal Hancock and Coastal Washington Counties. * WHEN...From Saturday morning through Saturday evening. * IMPACTS...Anyone on boats or paddlecraft should use caution and be prepared for immersion. Dress for cold water temperatures and know how to perform rescues. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Beach Hazards Statement is issued on days when a significant number of boats and paddlecraft are expected to be out on the water and when warm air temperatures may cause people to underestimate the danger of the cold water. Paddle smart from the start. Always wear your life jacket. Be aware of wind conditions, tides, and localized currents. && $$
1 follow-up statement
833 WHUS41 KCAR 162341 CFWCAR Coastal Hazard Message National Weather Service Caribou ME 741 PM EDT Sat May 16 2026 MEZ029-030-170045- /O.EXP.KCAR.BH.S.0001.000000T0000Z-260517T0000Z/ Coastal Hancock-Coastal Washington- 741 PM EDT Sat May 16 2026 ...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... The Beach Hazards Statement will be allowed to expire at 8 PM. $$
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this beach hazards statement 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 beach hazards statement went out at May 15, 5:35 AM EDT, 8 hours 14 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- 1) Warm and dry this weekend through early next week. 2) Scattered thunderstorms possible Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
Area forecast discussion, May 15, 5:35 AM EDT, 8 hours 14 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Caribou ME 535 AM EDT Fri May 15 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... - Updated aviation section to reflect upcoming 12Z TAFs - Increased confidence in timing of isolated rain showers Sunday morning && .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Warm and dry this weekend through early next week. 2) Scattered thunderstorms possible Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1...Warm and dry this weekend through early next week. KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION... The upper level trough will finally exit to the east this weekend. A broad ridge of high pressure will settle in its place. This will lead to a southwest dominant flow across our forecast area, advecting warm air into the region. The particular airmass that is entering the region will contain abnormally warm temperatures across the eastern half of the CONUS. For our area, at the northern end of the ridge, temperatures will rise above average by around 5 degrees or so. This may lead to temperatures into the low 70s across the region this weekend. If the departing upper level trough takes longer to shift east or the center of the incoming high pressure sets up further south, these temperatures may not warm as much. If the ridge that develops is stronger than currently projected, it may have a more dominant influence over our forecast area and temperatures could trend warmer than currently projected. Skies will be mostly clear during the subsidence pattern into this weekend, with limited available atmospheric moisture as PWATs are forecast to be less than 1 inch, falling to less than a half inch by Sunday night into Monday. Some fair weather cumulus may develop during Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, a weak trough will move through the area which could bring isolated light rain showers early Sunday morning before conditions dry out once more into Sunday afternoon, along with continued wind gusts up to 30 mph. Heading into Monday, there exists the potential for rapidly dropping dewpoints resulting in relative humidity that could plummet below 30 percent, as forecast soundings show steep lapse rates and a deep pocket of dry air in the mid levels. KEY MESSAGE 2...Scattered thunderstorms possible Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. KEY MESSAGE 2 DESCRIPTION... Southwest winds return the warm, more moist air advection to the area Tuesday into Wednesday, re-energizing the atmosphere with fuel that could support isolated thunderstorm development. Early global guidance suggests CAPE values could approach 1000 J/kg with around 40 kts of bulk shear, and these ingredients could help with not only thunderstorm development but sustaining thunderstorms for a longer duration. Thunderstorms could be possible across the forecast area, but forcing and available moisture will be greatest in the north closer to the lingering warm front. && .AVIATION /09Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Today...VFR north, MVFR for KBGR/KBHB in scattered showers. E to NE wind 5 to 10 kt. Tonight...VFR. S to SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Saturday...VFR. W to SW wind 10 to 15 kt. Saturday night - Sunday...Generally VFR across all terminals. Isolated -SHRA possible early Sunday morning. W to NW winds 10 to 15 kts gusting 20 to 25 kts. Sunday night - Monday night...VFR. NW winds 5 to 10 kts, shifting S by Monday night. Tuesday...Overall VFR, with MVFR/IFR possible in any rain showers. Low cigs most likely at northern terminals. Scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. SW winds 5 to 10 kts. && .MARINE... Small Craft Advisory remains up into Saturday with seas ranging from 5 to 7 ft. Seas 4 to 7 ft Saturday night into the day on Sunday will begin to gradually decrease late Sunday into the beginning of next week. Winds gusting 20 to 30 kts will also decrease through the day on Sunday, remaining below small craft advisory criteria through the first half of the upcoming work week. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM EDT Saturday for ANZ050-051. && DISCUSSION...AES/TWD AVIATION...AES/TWD
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 15, 1:30 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Caribou ME 130 PM EDT Fri May 15 2026 MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-170000- Northwest Aroostook-Northeast Aroostook-Northern Somerset- Northern Piscataquis-Northern Penobscot-Southeast Aroostook- Central Piscataquis-Central Penobscot-Southern Penobscot- Interior Hancock-Central Washington-Coastal Hancock- Coastal Washington-Southern Piscataquis-Northern Washington- Including the cities of Allagash, Clayton Lake, Madawaska, Fort Kent, Frenchville, Presque Isle, Caribou, Van Buren, Mars Hill, Ashland, Baker Lake, Billy-Jack Depot, Baxter St Park, Churchill Dam, Mount Katahdin, Ripogenus, Telos Lake, Caucomgomoc Lake, Chamberlain Lake, Millinocket, East Millinocket, Patten, Medway, Houlton, Hodgdon, Sherman, Smyrna Mills, Greenville, Monson, Blanchard, Lincoln, Howland, Springfield, Bangor, Brewer, Orono, Old Town, Amherst, Aurora, Dedham, Eastbrook, Great Pond, Calais, Grand Lake Stream, Wesley, Princeton, Ellsworth, Bar Harbor, Bucksport, Orland, Castine, Eastport, Perry, Machias, Cherryfield, Dover-Foxcroft, Milo, Guilford, Danforth, Vanceboro, and Topsfield 130 PM EDT Fri May 15 2026 ...National Weather Service Cold Water Safety Message... * The warm air temperatures this weekend in the upper 60s to mid 70s may cause people to underestimate the dangers of the cold water temperatures which are currently only in the mid 40s on the lakes and in the mid 40s on the rivers. * The cold water temperatures can quickly cause hypothermia to anyone immersed in the water. According to the Maine Warden Service, when the water temperatures are below 50 degrees, the chance of immediate incapacitation due to cold shock is extremely high. Anyone on small boats, canoes or kayaks should plan accordingly if recreating this weekend and use extreme caution to avoid this threat. Paddle smart from the start and always wear your life jacket!
Nearby
Beach Hazards Statements in Maine, 2026Every beach hazards statement in 2026
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.