Heavy Snow in Maine, January 31, 2002

Name: Heavy Snow in Maine, January 31, 2002
Start: 2002-01-31T14:00
End: 2002-01-31T23:59
Location: Maine

January 31, 2002 · NWS GYX · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

Low pressure moving east from the upper Ohio Valley and a second low that formed off the New England coast brought moderate to heavy snow to the area. The snow continued until mid-day on Feb.

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.

Low pressure moving east from the upper Ohio Valley and a second low that formed off the New England coast brought moderate to heavy snow to the area. The snow continued until mid-day on Feb. 1. In general, from 2 to 8 inches of snow fell with the greatest amounts occurring in the western mountains and in the southwestern part of the state.

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 Jan 31, 9:55 AM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 9:55 AM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Androscoggin

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Coastal Cumberland

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Coastal York

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Interior Cumberland

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Interior York

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Northern Franklin

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Northern Oxford

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Sagadahoc

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Southern Oxford

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Central Somerset

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Coastal Waldo

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Interior Waldo

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Kennebec

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Knox

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Lincoln

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Southern Franklin

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

Heavy Snow, Southern Somerset

When: January 31, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5278654, 5278655, 5278656, 5278657, 5278658, 5278659, 5278660, 5278661, 5278662, 5278663, 5278664, 5278665, 5278666, 5278667, 5278668, 5278669, 5278670.