Maine, 1996

Ice Storm in Maine, November 25 to 26, 1996

November 25 to 26, 1996 · NWS GYX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Low pressure moving northeastward from the mid-Atlantic States brought a mixture of precipitation to most of Maine. In interior sections of coastal Maine, heavy accumulations of ice brought down numerous trees and caused widespread power outages.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GYX wrote it up.

Low pressure moving northeastward from the mid-Atlantic States brought a mixture of precipitation to most of Maine. In interior sections of coastal Maine, heavy accumulations of ice brought down numerous trees and caused widespread power outages. Gusty winds also contributed to the damages as ice-laden trees and branches continued to fall after the precipitation had ended. More than 60,000 customers lost electrical power. Interior Cumberland County and Androscoggin County were particularly hard hit; some people were without power for more than three days.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Southern Oxford

When
November 25, 10:00 PM EST to November 26, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Oxford forecast zone
Coordinates
44.500, -70.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Interior Cumberland

When
November 25, 10:00 PM EST to November 26, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Interior Cumberland forecast zone
Coordinates
43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Androscoggin

When
November 25, 10:00 PM EST to November 26, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Androscoggin forecast zone
Coordinates
44.166, -70.206 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Kennebec

When
November 25, 10:00 PM EST to November 26, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Kennebec forecast zone
Coordinates
44.409, -69.767 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Interior Waldo

When
November 25, 10:00 PM EST to November 26, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Interior Waldo forecast zone
Coordinates
44.485, -69.122 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Sagadahoc

When
November 25, 10:00 PM EST to November 26, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Sagadahoc forecast zone
Coordinates
43.912, -69.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Lincoln

When
November 25, 10:00 PM EST to November 26, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Coordinates
43.998, -69.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Knox

When
November 25, 10:00 PM EST to November 26, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Coordinates
44.076, -69.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Coastal Waldo

When
November 25, 10:00 PM EST to November 26, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Coastal Waldo forecast zone
Coordinates
44.485, -69.122 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maine in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, November 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5582551, 5582552, 5582553, 5582554, 5582555, 5582556, 5582557, 5582558, 5582559.