Maine, 2001

Extreme Cold in Maine, February 11, 2001

February 11, 2001 · NWS GYX · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

Strong winds developed across the state as a deep low pressure center moved eastward through the Canadian Maritimes and an arctic dome of high pressure dropped southeastward from central Canada. The combination of wind and cold temperatures caused wind chill temperatures across western and central Maine to drop to 25 to 35 degrees below zero in most places.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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
17

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.

Strong winds developed across the state as a deep low pressure center moved eastward through the Canadian Maritimes and an arctic dome of high pressure dropped southeastward from central Canada. The combination of wind and cold temperatures caused wind chill temperatures across western and central Maine to drop to 25 to 35 degrees below zero in most places.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Feb 11, 1:55 AM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 11, 1:55 AM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
155 AM EST SUN FEB 11 2001

ZONES...
WILL FORECAST A WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR ALL ZONES FOR THIS MORNING.
TEMPERATURES AND WINDS COMBINING TO CREATE WIND CHILLS CLOSE TO THE
ADVISORY CRITERIA OF -25...BUT NOT CLOSE TO THE WARNING CRITERIA OF
-40.  WITH CONTINUED COLD AIR ADVECTION EARLY THIS MORNING THE WIND
CHILL READINGS SHOULD CONTINUE TO DROP...WITH MORE FREQUENT VALUES
IN THE ADVISORY RANGE.  WIND CHILL WILL EASE A LITTLE THIS AFTERNOON
AS TEMPERATURES SLOWLY REBOUND.  WINDS WILL DROP OFF TONIGHT SO WIND
CHILL WILL NO LONGER BE A CONCERN...DESPITE CONTINUED VERY COLD
TEMPERATURES.

VERY INTENSED SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE PAST NEWFOUNDLAND TODAY.  THIS
WILL CONTINUE GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OVER THE FORECAST AREA
UNTIL SUNSET.  SOME CLOUDS WILL PERSIST TODAY IN THE MOUNTAINS DUE
TO UPSLOPE AND RESIDUAL MOISTURE AS INDICATED BY BUFKIT ETA/NGM
SOUNDINGS AND REFLECTED IN LATEST IR SATELLITE LOOP.  A FEW FLURRIES
ARE POSSIBLE EARLY BUT OTHERWISE NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED TODAY.

THE SURFACE HIGH BUILDS EAST FROM THE GREAT LAKES TONIGHT AND
MONDAY.  THIS WILL BRING DIMINISHING WINDS BUT ALSO VERY COLD
CANADIAN AIR TO THE REGION.  MIN TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BE VERY
COLD WITH GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS SETTING UP.

ON MONDAY THE HIGH DEPARTS TO THE EAST WITH A WEAK 500 MB SHORT WAVE
TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE WEST.  MOST RH HEADS FOR MORE NORTHERN
ZONES BUT STILL SHOULD SEE QUICKLY INCREASING CLOUDS MONDAY
AFTERNOON ACROSS THE REGION WITH FAST WESTERLY UPPER LEVEL FLOW.  AT
THIS TIME WONT MENTION ANY SNOW SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST AS THE AIR
WILL BE VERY DRY AND UVV DOESNT ARRIVE UNTIL CLOSE TO 00Z.  THE
FWC/FAN/MAV GUIDANCE SUPPORTS THIS THINKING WITH VERY LOW POPS
THROUGH MONDAY.

WILL GO AT OR BELOW TEMPS FROM COMPROMISE OF FWC/FAN/MAV FOR TODAY
...TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

EXTENDED...
THE SHORT WAVE WILL BRING JUST A CHANCE OF SNOW/AND MOST LIKELY
LIGHT AND PATCHY AT BEST/ TO THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT /AS INDICATED
BY THE 00Z RUN OF THE ETA AND AVN MODELS/ SO NO CHANGES NEEDED TO
FIRST PERIOD OF EXTENDED AT THIS TIME.  WONT CHANGE DAYS 3 THROUGH
7 AT THIS TIME EITHER AS THE 00Z AVN SHOWS CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE
PREVIOUS FORECAST.

CWF...
WILL CONTINUE THE GALE WARNING BASED ON CURRENT BUOY REPORTS.  THE
MODELS CONTINUE THE STRONG WNW WIND FLOW AT THE SURFACE...925 AND
850 MB LEVELS THROUGH THIS EVENING THEN FINALLY DROP OFF WIND SPEEDS
QUICKLY TONIGHT.  SHOULD FINALLY SEE THE WINDS SETTLE DOWN LATE
TONIGHT AND ON MONDAY WHEN THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE BELOW SCA
CRITERIA.  SEAS WILL SUBSIDE WITH THE DIMINISHING WINDS.  WILL
CONTINUE TO HILITE FREEZING SPRAY...ESPECIALLY TODAY AND TONGHT.

ATTN. NWS WFOS...
PWMWRKZFP AND PWMWRKCWF AVBL IN AWIPS FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES.
WIND CHILL ADV HAS BEEN UPDATED IN WWA.

FCSTID = 2

.GYX...
ME...WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR THIS MORNING FOR ZONES
     MEZ007>009-012>014-018>028.

     GLW.

NH...WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR THIS MORNING FOR ZONES
     NHZ001>010-NHZ013>014.

     GLW.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Androscoggin

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Androscoggin forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.166, -70.206 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Central Somerset

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Coastal Cumberland

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Coastal Waldo

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Coastal York

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Interior Cumberland

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Interior Waldo

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Interior York

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Kennebec

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Kennebec forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.409, -69.767 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Knox

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.076, -69.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lincoln

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.998, -69.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Franklin

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Oxford

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Sagadahoc

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Sagadahoc forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.912, -69.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Franklin

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Oxford

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM 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)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Somerset

When
February 11, 3:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM 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)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maine in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, February 2001

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: 5232709, 5232710, 5232711, 5232712, 5232713, 5232714, 5232715, 5232716, 5232717, 5232718, 5232719, 5232720, 5232721, 5232722, 5232723, 5232724, 5232725.