Winter Storm in Maine, January 13 to 14, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Maine, January 13 to 14, 2002
Start: 2002-01-13T09:00
End: 2002-01-14T04:00
Location: Maine

January 13 to 14, 2002 · NWS CAR · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

Precipitation overspread the region early on the 13th. precipitation remained snow through the entire event.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 15

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.

Low pressure organizing along the Mid-Atlantic coast during Saturday the 12th rapidly intensified while lifting through the Gulf of Maine to Nova Scotia from the 13th into the early morning hours of the 14th.Precipitation overspread the region early on the 13th. Across northern areas...precipitation remained snow through the entire event. Across Downeast areas...precipitation started as rain or mixed precipitation then changed to snow during the afternoon. Snowfall rates of up to 2 to 4 inches per hour and thunder snow were reported across portions of the region during the afternoon and evening of the 13th. The heaviest snow totals occurred across east-central portions of the region where 12 to 20 inches of snow...with locally higher accumulations...occurred. Elsewhere across the region...snow totals generally ranged from 6 to 12 inches...with the lesser accumulations across the extreme north and along the immediate coast. Strong winds in the wake of the storm produced widespread blowing and drifting snow regionwide.The combination of strong winds and heavy wet snow brought down many trees...branches and power lines across central and Downeast areas which contributed to widespread power outages there. At times...tens of thousands of people were without power during the storm. Some areas did not have power fully restored until the following Thursday.In southeast Aroostook county...a disabled individual fell in his driveway during the storm and died of hypothermia after not being able to regain his feet.

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 13, 4:53 AM EST, 4 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 13, 4:53 AM EST, 4 hours 7 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
453 AM EST SUN JAN 13 2002

.SYNOPSIS...
LOW PRESSURE WILL RAPIDLY INTENSIFY INTO A MAJOR WINTER STORM WHILE
TRACKING FROM THE MID ATLANTIC COAST TO THE GULF OF MAINE TODAY. THE LOW
WILL LIFT THROUGH THE MARITIMES TONIGHT AND MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD TOWARD THE REGION LATER MONDAY.

.DISCUSSION...
CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATED LOW PRESSURE
ORGANIZING ALONG THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. THE LOW WILL INTENSIFY INTO A MAJOR
WINTER STORM WHILE LIFTING TO THE THE GULF OF MAINE THIS EVENING. THE LOW
WILL INTENSIFY WITH SUPPORT FROM PHASING NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN STREAM ENERGY
AND JET COUPLING ASSOCIATED WITH ONE JET MAX EXITIMG THE MARITIMES AND A
SECOND JET MAX MOVING OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. THE SOUTHERN STREAM WILL
ALSO PROVIDE ABUNDANT MOISTURE TO THE RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING LOW. NGM/ETA
INDICATE THE LOW NEAR SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON COUNTY EARLY TONIGHT...WITH
THE AVN A LITTLE FURTHER EAST OVER SOUTHWEST NOVA SCOTIA. THE ETA INDICATES
A SLIGHTLY DEEPER LOW THAN THE AVN/NGM.

PRECIPITATION WILL EXPAND NORTHWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY WITH
THE APPROACH OF THE LOW. ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS...CRITICAL
THICKNESSES SUPPORT ALL SNOW...WHICH WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT. BASED ON EXPECTED HIGH TEMPERATURES AND
1000-850 MB LAYER CRITICAL THICKNESSES...PRECIPITATION COULD MIX WITH OR
CHANGE TO SLEET AND RAIN AT TIMES ACROSS DOWNEAST AREAS THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON. THE BEST CHANCE FOR MIXING OR A CHANGEOVER TO ALL RAIN WILL
OCCUR NEAR THE COAST WITH AN ONSHORE WIND. AS WINDS TURN TO THE NORTHEAST
AND NORTH LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND COLDER AIR IS WRAPPED BACK AROUND THE
STORM ANY MIXED PRECIPITATION SHOULD CHANGE BACK TO SNOW AND COULD BECOME
HEAVY AT TIMES. WINDS STEADILY INCREASE TODAY DUE TO THE TIGHTENING
PRESSURE GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE RAPIDLY DEEPENING LOW. THE INCREASING
WINDS WILL CAUSE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. THEIR COULD BE A TIME LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT
ONCE THE PRECIPITATION CHANGES BACK TO SNOW AND WINDS HAVE INCREASED
DOWNEAST THAT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS COULD BECOME A CONCERN THERE AND THIS WILL
HAVE TO BE MONITORED. CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL PERSIST
REGIONWIDE TONIGHT. GENERALLY EXPECT TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 14
INCHES ACROSS THE NORTH...12 TO 18 INCHES ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS...8
TO 12 INCHES ACROSS INTERIOR DOWNEAST AREAS WITH 4 TO 8 INCHES ALONG THE
COAST. LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS ARE POSSIBLE REGIONWIDE. EMBEDDED THUNDERSNOW
COULD ALSO BE A CONCERN LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND WILL HAVE TO BE
MONITORED WHICH COULD ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS.

THE SNOW WILL TAPER TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS LATER TONIGHT WITH THE LOW
LIFTING THROUGH THE MARITIMES. THE SNOW SHOWERS COULD LINGER ACROSS THE
NORTH AND MOUNTAINS EARLY MONDAY. OTHERWISE...EXPECT BLUSTERY AND PARTLY
CLOUDY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION MONDAY.

HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER LOW
SHOULD TRACK EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND TUESDAY BRINGING A CHANCE OF
SNOW DOWNEAST. UNSETTLED CONDITIONS WILL THEN PERSIST ACROSS THE
REGION WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

COASTAL WATERS...
WINDS WILL STEADILY INCREASE ACROSS THE WATERS TODAY WITH THE APPROACH OF
THE INTENSIFYING LOW...REACHING STORM FORCE BY EARLY TONIGHT. THUS...WILL
ISSUE A STORM WARNING FOR THE COASTAL WATERS WITH THIS ISSUANCE. WINDS WILL
THEN GRADUALLY DIMINISH LATER TONIGHT AND MONDAY. VISIBILITIES WILL BE
LOWERING IN DEVELOPING PRECIPITATION TODAY...THEN START TO IMPROVE LATER
TONIGHT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE LOW.

.CAR...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
       ZONES 1>4.
       WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW TODAY AND TONIGHT
       ZONES 5-6-10-11-15>17-29>32.
       STORM WARNING COASTAL WATERS.

NORCROSS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Central Penobscot

When: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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, Northeast Aroostook

When: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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, Northwest Aroostook

When: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Southeast Aroostook forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.659, -68.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Penobscot

When: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 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)

Winter Storm, Northern Somerset

When: January 13, 9:00 AM EST to January 14, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Somerset forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.514, -69.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Winter Storm, Southeast Aroostook	2002-01-14	53	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

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, January 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: 5278135, 5278136, 5278137, 5278138, 5278139, 5278140, 5278141, 5278142, 5278143, 5278144, 5278145, 5278146, 5278147, 5278148, 5278149.