Maine, 2002

Heavy Snow in Maine, March 26 to 27, 2002

March 26 to 27, 2002 · NWS GYX · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

An area of low pressure moving northeast from the Mississippi Valley on the morning of the 26th to central Maine on the morning of the 27th brought a mixture of precipitation to the state. Much of the precipitation fell as snow in the mountains where accumulations were generally in the 6 to 12 inch range.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

An area of low pressure moving northeast from the Mississippi Valley on the morning of the 26th to central Maine on the morning of the 27th brought a mixture of precipitation to the state. Much of the precipitation fell as snow in the mountains where accumulations were generally in the 6 to 12 inch range. In the foothills, the snow was mixed with sleet and freezing rain, and accumulations generally ranged from 3 to 6 inches. Along the coast and in the interior, much of the precipitation fell as rain and accumulations ranged from near 0 to about 4 inches

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 Mar 26, 9:55 AM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 26, 9:55 AM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
955 AM EST TUE MAR 26 2002

NO BIG CHNGS TO FCST PLANNED ATTM. WL GNRLLY CLEAN UP 1ST PRD WRDG
TO REFLECT CRRNT CNDTNS...BUT FCST ON TRACK.  OFFSHR CONT GLW.

.GYX...
ME...WNTR STRM WRNG MEZ007>009-012>014...
     WNTR WX ADVSRY MEZ018>022...
     GLW.
NH...WNTR STRM WRNG NHZ001>004...
     WNTR WX ADVSRY NHZ005-006...
     GLW.

EJS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Central Somerset

When
March 26, 2:00 PM EST to March 27, 2:00 AM 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, Northern Franklin

When
March 26, 2:00 PM EST to March 27, 2:00 AM 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
March 26, 2:00 PM EST to March 27, 2:00 AM 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, Southern Franklin

When
March 26, 2:00 PM EST to March 27, 2:00 AM 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 Oxford

When
March 26, 2:00 PM EST to March 27, 2:00 AM 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, Southern Somerset

When
March 26, 2:00 PM EST to March 27, 2:00 AM 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

More

Every storm in Maine in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, March 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: 5285858, 5285859, 5285860, 5285861, 5285862, 5285863.