Winter Storm in Maine, November 29 to 30, 2001

Name: Winter Storm in Maine, November 29 to 30, 2001
Start: 2001-11-29T10:00
End: 2001-11-30T03:00
Location: Maine

November 29 to 30, 2001 · NWS CAR · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Overrunning precipitation in advance of low pressure lifting northeast from the lower Mississippi River Valley produced 5 to 9 inches of snow across northern Maine. 3 to 5 inches of snow accumulated before the precipitation changed to sleet and freezing rain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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: 8

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 CAR wrote it up.

Overrunning precipitation in advance of low pressure lifting northeast from the lower Mississippi River Valley produced 5 to 9 inches of snow across northern Maine. Across central Maine...3 to 5 inches of snow accumulated before the precipitation changed to sleet and freezing rain. This first significant winter weather event of the season produced very hazardous driving conditions across central Maine which contributed to numerous accidents.

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 Caribou, ME wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 29, 3:00 AM EST, 7 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 29, 3:00 AM EST, 7 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
300 AM EST THU NOV 29 2001

.SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE LOCATED TO THE NORTH OF THE STATE WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE EAST TODAY. AT THE SAME TIME SNOW WILL SPREAD FROM
SOUTH TO NORTH AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES THE REGION FROM THE
SOUTHWEST. SNOW WILL GRADUALLY CHANGE TO MIXED PRECIPITATION TONIGHT AS
WARMER AIR MOVES IN. LOOK FOR RAIN ON FRIDAY AS A WARM FRONT MOVES ACROSS
THE AREA.

.DISCUSSION...
WILL PUT ADVISORIES UP IN ALL EXCEPT COASTAL ZONES. ADVISORIES IN NORTH
FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR BOTH SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATION. OVER SOUTH
ADVISORIES WILL BE FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND ONLY FOR ICE ACCUMULATION.

FOR TODAY CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE WITH SNOW DEVELOPING BY MID
MORNING IN SOUTH. SNOW WILL QUICKLY CHANGE TO RAIN WITH NO ACCUMULATION
EXPECTED IN COASTAL ZONES. IN INTERIOR SOUTH SNOW CHANGES TO MIXED
PRECIPITATION LATE AFTERNOON WITH A TOTAL ACCUMULATION OF UP TO 3 INCHES BY
THE TIME OF CHANGE OVER TAKES PLACE. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN NORTHERN
AREAS EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON. ALL PRECIPITATION IN FORM OF SNOW OVER CENTRAL
AND NORTH WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES ACCUMULATING BY LATE AFTERNOON.

FOR TONIGHT MIXED PRECIPITATION OVER SOUTH INTERIOR WILL CHANGE TO ALL
RAIN BY LATE EVENING WITH UP TO QUARTER INCH OF ICE POSSIBLE. IN NORTH
CENTRAL AREAS 2 TO 4 INCHES TOTAL ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED AT TIME OF
CHANGE CHANGE OVER TO MIXED PRECIPITATION WITH UP TO QUARTER INCH OF ICE
AFTER CHANGE OVER. OVER FAR NORTH 3 TO 5 INCHES EXPECTED AT CHANGE OVER TO
MIXED PRECIPITATION WITH UP TO QUARTER INCH OF ICE AFTERWARDS.

ON FRIDAY EXPECT ALL RAIN OVER THE SOUTH AND SHORT PERIOD OF MIXED
PRECIPITATION IN NORTH BEFORE CHANGE TO RAIN. LITTLE ADDITIONAL ICING IS
EXPECTED IN NORTH ON FRIDAY BEFORE CHANGE TO RAIN.

RAIN IS POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SATURDAY AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO
MOVE TO THE NORTH. PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES CAN BE EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.

MARINE...WILL CONTINUE SCA

.CAR...SCA FOR SEAS
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TODAY...11/15/16/17/31/32
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...1>6/10

MIGNONE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Central Penobscot

When: November 29, 10:00 AM EST to November 30, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Central Penobscot forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.401, -68.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central Piscataquis

When: November 29, 10:00 AM EST to November 30, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Central Piscataquis forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.837, -69.284 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northeast Aroostook

When: November 29, 10:00 AM EST to November 30, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Northeast Aroostook forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.659, -68.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Penobscot

When: November 29, 10:00 AM EST to November 30, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Penobscot forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.401, -68.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Piscataquis

When: November 29, 10:00 AM EST to November 30, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Piscataquis forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.837, -69.284 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northwest Aroostook

When: November 29, 10:00 AM EST to November 30, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Northwest Aroostook forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.659, -68.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southeast Aroostook

When: November 29, 10:00 AM EST to November 30, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Southeast Aroostook forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.659, -68.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Piscataquis

When: November 29, 10:00 AM EST to November 30, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Piscataquis forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.837, -69.284 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Maine in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Maine, November 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: 5272419, 5272420, 5272421, 5272422, 5272423, 5272424, 5272425, 5272426.