Cold in Maine, December 30 to 31, 1998

Name: Cold in Maine, December 30 to 31, 1998
Start: 1998-12-30T19:00
End: 1998-12-31T13:00
Location: Maine

December 30 to 31, 1998 · NWS GYX · 30 events in 30 counties and zones

Wind chill temperatures dropped to 45 to 65 degrees below zero across northern Maine and the Maine mountains as strong northwesterly winds of 15 to 25 mph brought arctic air into the area after the passage of a cold front. Elsewhere in Maine, wind chill temperatures dropped to 25 to 40 degrees below zero.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 30 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: 30

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.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

30 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Androscoggin

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Androscoggin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.166, -70.206 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Central Penobscot

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Central Penobscot forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.401, -68.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Coastal Cumberland

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Coastal Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Coastal Hancock

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Coastal Hancock forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.563, -68.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Coastal Waldo

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Coastal Waldo forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.485, -69.122 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Coastal Washington

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Coastal Washington forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.970, -67.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Coastal York

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Coastal York forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Interior Cumberland

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Interior Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Interior Hancock

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Interior Hancock forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.563, -68.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Interior Waldo

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Interior Waldo forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.485, -69.122 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Interior Washington

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Interior Washington forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.970, -67.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Interior York

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Interior York forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Kennebec

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Kennebec forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.409, -69.767 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Knox

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.076, -69.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Lincoln

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.998, -69.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Sagadahoc

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Sagadahoc forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.912, -69.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Franklin

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.974, -70.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Oxford

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Oxford forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.500, -70.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Penobscot

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Penobscot forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.401, -68.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Somerset

When: December 30, 7:00 PM EST to December 31, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Somerset forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.514, -69.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Central Somerset

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Central Somerset forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.514, -69.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northeast Aroostook

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Northeast Aroostook forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 46.659, -68.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Franklin

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.974, -70.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Oxford

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Oxford forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.500, -70.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Penobscot

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Penobscot forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.401, -68.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Piscataquis

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Piscataquis forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.837, -69.284 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Somerset

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Somerset forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.514, -69.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northwest Aroostook

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Northwest Aroostook forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 46.659, -68.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Southeast Aroostook

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Southeast Aroostook forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 46.659, -68.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Piscataquis

When: December 30, 8:00 PM EST to December 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Piscataquis forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.837, -69.284 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Maine in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Maine, December 1998

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: 5675095, 5675096, 5675097, 5675098, 5675099, 5675100, 5675101, 5675102, 5675103, 5675104, 5675105, 5675106, 5675107, 5675108, 5675109, 5675110, 5675111, 5675112, 5675113, 5675114, 5675085, 5675086, 5675087, 5675088, 5675089, 5675090, 5675091, 5675092, 5675093, 5675094.