Alert archive / Maine / Beach Hazards Statements in 2026
Beach Hazards Statement 16, NWS Caribou, ME
NWS Caribou, ME issued this beach hazards statement at Jul 31, 2026, 6:19 AM EDT for Hancock County, Washington County, Maine. It took effect at Jul 31, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 12 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 31, 2026, 6:19 AM EDT (10:19 UTC)
- In effect from
- Jul 31, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT
- Expired
- Jul 31, 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 10:20 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 00:00Z, 10.3 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
- 668 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 16 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -37 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -17 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
499 WHUS41 KCAR 311019 CFWCAR Coastal Hazard Message National Weather Service Caribou ME 619 AM EDT Fri Jul 31 2026 MEZ029-030-010000- /O.NEW.KCAR.BH.S.0016.260731T1200Z-260801T0000Z/ Coastal Hancock-Coastal Washington- 619 AM EDT Fri Jul 31 2026 ...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING... * WHAT....The warm air temperatures in the 70s to around 80 may cause people to underestimate the dangers of the cold water temperatures which are currently in the 50 to 55 degree range. * WHERE...Coastal Hancock and Coastal Washington Counties. * WHEN...Through this evening. * IMPACTS...The cold water temperatures can quickly cause hypothermia to anyone immersed in the waters. Anyone on boats or paddlecraft should use extreme caution to avoid this threat. 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. && $$
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 Jul 31, 5:19 AM EDT, 1 hour earlier. Its key messages:
- 1) Showers, and potentially a few thunderstorms, likely late this weekend into early next week.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 5:19 AM EDT, 1 hour before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Caribou ME 519 AM EDT Fri Jul 31 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... - Update to include patchy fog early. - Updated aviation discussion. && .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Showers, and potentially a few thunderstorms, likely late this weekend into early next week. && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1...Showers, and potentially a few thunderstorms, likely late this weekend into early next week. KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION... A cold front approaches our area Saturday night with an area of low pressure developing along it Sunday. The low should pass north of our area Sunday night into Monday. Showers and an isolated thunderstorm possible, mainly over northern and western Maine, Sunday afternoon as the cold front approaches. The majority of the rain is expected Monday as the low passes to our north with a 30 to 40% chance of at least 0.5 inches Downeast and a 60 to 70% chance of at least 0.5 inches over the North. Rain tapers off Monday night. The greatest chance for thunderstorms is also Monday but it is unclear how widespread they will be and how far south they will extend. Models are currently showing limited instability and more southerly flow along the coast could bring a marine layer inland which would generally stunt convection. Fog likely each night through Sunday night and may persist into the morning. Densest fog expected Saturday night. && .AVIATION /09Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Today...Variable conditions with any patchy fog early. Otherwise, VFR/MVFR. Isolated to scattered showers. North winds 10 to 15 knots. Tonight...Variable conditions with any fog late. Otherwise, VFR. Light and variable winds. Saturday...Variable conditions with any fog early. Otherwise, VFR. Variable winds 5 to 10 knots. Saturday night...MVFR/IFR with areas of fog late, especially at southern terminals. Otherwise, VFR. Light S winds overnight. Sunday...VFR/MVFR. A chance of showers, and slight chance of thunderstorms, especially at northern terminals. Patchy fog possible early at southern terminals. S winds 10 to 15 knots with gusts up to around 20 knots. Sunday night - Monday...MVFR, possibly IFR, with rain showers and isolated afternoon thunderstorms. Patchy fog Sunday night which may persist into Monday morning. S winds 5 to 10 kts with gusts up to 20 kts. Monday night - Tuesday...Becoming VFR Monday night. W winds 5-10 kts, increasing to 10 to 15 kts during the day with gusts to 20 kts. && .MARINE... Winds/seas below small craft advisory levels today through Saturday. Isolated showers today. Patchy fog later tonight through early Saturday. Seas 2-4 ft this weekend through Tuesday, increasing to 5 ft on the outer waters Monday night. Winds become southerly by Saturday afternoon, then southwesterly Monday night. Rain possible late Sunday into Monday night. Fog likely tonight, Saturday night, and Sunday night. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. MARINE...None. && DISCUSSION...SM/CN AVIATION...SM/CN
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.