Winter Storm in Maine, February 1 to 2, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Maine, February 1 to 2, 2002
Start: 2002-02-01T01:00
End: 2002-02-02T03:00
Location: Maine

February 1 to 2, 2002 · NWS CAR · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

while the initial low tracked from the Great Lakes across northern Maine. Snowfall across the region generally ranged from 3 to 6 inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 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: 12

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.

Secondary low pressure organizing along the southern New England coast during the afternoon of the 1st tracked through the Gulf of Maine to Nova Scotia that night...while the initial low tracked from the Great Lakes across northern Maine. Snowfall across the region generally ranged from 3 to 6 inches. Sleet accumulations ranged from around 0.5 inch to 2.5 inches across many central and Downeast areas.

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 Jan 31, 3:00 PM EST, 10 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 3:00 PM EST, 10 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
300 PM EST THU JAN 31 2002

.SYNOPSIS...
LOW PRESSURE WILL APPROACH FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND SPREAD SNOW ACROSS ALL OF
NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. WARMER AIR ALOFT
WILL BRING A CHANGE OVER TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN ACROSS MUCH OF
DOWNEAST AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MAINE DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY. THIS STORM
WILL MOVE THROUGH THE GULF OF MAINE DURING FRIDAY AND THEN EXIT SOUTH OF THE
MARITIMES FRIDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY.

.DISCUSSION...
EVERYTHING APPEARS IN PLACE FOR A DECENT WINTER WX EVENT FOR OUR CWA NEXT
24-36 HOURS.  MODELS IN BETTER AGREEMENT WITH UPCOMING SCENARIO TODAY THO
MINOR DIFFS STILL EXIST.  ETA REMAINS A LITTLE DEEPER AND FURTHER N WITH
THE PARENT LOW AND TRACKS IT NE FROM THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THIS AFTN
INTO NRN NYS BY ERLY FRI AFTN...  AVN A LITTLE FURTHER S INTO CENTRAL NYS
BY THIS SAME TIME.  MODELS THEN TRANSFER ENERGY FROM THE PARENT LOW TO THE
COAST LATE FRI AND THIS NEW SYSTEM THEN EXPECTED TO TRACK E ACROSS CENTRAL
NOVA SCOTIA (ETA) AND SRN NOVA SCOTIA (AVN) FRI NIGHT.  ETA HAS BEEN THE
MOST CONSISTENT OF THESE TWO MODELS LAST FEW DAYS W/ THE CANADIAN GEM A
GOOD COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE TWO.

INITIAL SURGE OF WAA SNOWS MOVE INTO DOWNEAST AREAS ERLY THIS EVENING THEN
EXPECTED TO SPREAD SLOWLY ENE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA BY ERLY FRI.
SNOW SHOULD THEN PICK UP IN INTENSITY CENTRAL AND N FRI AFTN INTO FRI
EVENING AS COASTAL LOW BEGINS TO WIND UP.  STRONG WAA FORCING WILL COMBINE
W/ STRONG DYNAMICS AS STRONG H5 SHORT WAVE LIFTS ACROSS THE REGION LATE FRI
FOR RATHER HIGH QPF AMOUNTS. ETA SUGGEST UP TO AN INCH W/ AVN SHOWING
SLIGHTLY LOWER AMOUNTS.

ARCTIC AIRMASS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION ATTM WILL BE HARD TO DISPLACE
THOUGH EXPECT TO SEE STRONG INCREASE IN 850 MB TEMPS GIVEN 50-70 KT H8 SWRLY
JET UPSTREAM.  FCST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST CHANGE OVER TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN
DOWNEAST AREAS W/ EVEN -RA POSSIBLE ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST.  SLEET COULD
REACH AS FAR N AS HUL GIVEN STRONG WAA PROFILE ASSOCIATED W/ THIS SYSTEM.
HIGHEST SNOWFALL TOTALS EXPECTED ACROSS THE FAR N WHERE STRONG DYNAMICS WILL
COMBINE W/ IMPRESSIVE ISENTROPIC LIFT.  IN ADDITION...COLD SFC TEMPS WILL
ALLOW SNOWFALL RATIOS OF 15/20 TO 1 W/ PRECIP FAR N EXPECTED TO REMAIN ALL
SNOW. WILL GO 8-14 INCHES UP N TRENDING LOWER AMOUNTS S W/ CHANGEOVER TO ALL
SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED S OF A GREENVILLE TO DANFORTH LINE.  HAVE
ISSUED WINTER STORM WARNINGS ALL EXCEPT COASTAL ZONES WHERE WILL GO W/ AN
ADVISORY FOR SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW TONIGHT W/ SOME SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN
AND MINOR ICE ACCUMS ON TAP FOR FRI.  BEST ICING ATTM EXPECTED ACROSS
INTERIOR DOWNEAST ZONES BUT WILL HAVE TO MONITOR CLOSELY TO SEE HOW FAR N
THIS CHANGEOVER WORKS INTO ON FRI.

COASTAL WATERS...WINDS TO REACH SCA LEVELS TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH
FRIDAY. IN WAKE OF THE STORM SYSTEM EXITING THROUGH THE GULF OF MAINE...A
GALE WARNING MAY BE NEEDED FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.

.CAR...WINTER STORM WARNING ZONES 15>17 TONIGHT AND FRI.
       WINTER STORM WARNING ZONES 10/11/31/32 TONIGHT INTO FRI NIGHT.
       WINTER STORM WARNING ZONES 3>6 LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRI NIGHT.
       WINTER STORM WARNING ZONES 1/2 FRIDAY AND FRI NIGHT.
       WINTER WX ADV ZONES 29/30 TONIGHT AND FRI.
       SCA IN EFFECT...GLW MAY BE NEEDED FRI NIGHT.

KHW

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Central Penobscot

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 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: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 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, Central Washington

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Central Washington forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.970, -67.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Coastal Hancock

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Coastal Hancock forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.563, -68.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Coastal Washington

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Coastal Washington forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.970, -67.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Interior Hancock

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Interior Hancock forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.563, -68.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Penobscot

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 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: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 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, Northern Washington

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Washington forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.970, -67.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southeast Aroostook

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 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 Penobscot

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Penobscot forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.401, -68.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Piscataquis

When: February 1, 1:00 AM EST to February 2, 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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Maine, February 2002

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: 5283337, 5283338, 5283406, 5283407, 5283408, 5283409, 5283410, 5283411, 5283412, 5283413, 5283414, 5283415.