Maine, 2002

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Maine, November 16 to 17, 2002

November 16 to 17, 2002 · NWS GYX · 21 events in 15 counties and zones

A rapidly intensifying area of low pressure moving northeastward from the Florida Panhandle on the morning of the 16th to the Delmarva Peninsula on the morning of the 17th to near Nova Scotia by the morning of the 18th, brought a mixture of precipitation to the state. About 5 to 10 inches of snow fell in the mountains and foothills of western Maine with 3 to 6 inches across most of the remainder…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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
21

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.

A rapidly intensifying area of low pressure moving northeastward from the Florida Panhandle on the morning of the 16th to the Delmarva Peninsula on the morning of the 17th to near Nova Scotia by the morning of the 18th, brought a mixture of precipitation to the state. About 5 to 10 inches of snow fell in the mountains and foothills of western Maine with 3 to 6 inches across most of the remainder of the western Maine, except along the coast where accumulations were generally 3 inches or less. The snow changed to sleet and/or freezing rain in most areas before the precipitation ended. Across coastal sections of Cumberland and York Counties, the weight of the freezing rain caused branches and trees to fall onto power lines causing scattered power outages. About 15,000 customers lost electrical service during the storm due to freezing rain, with some customers without power for two days. Strong northeast winds from the storm broke four lobster boats from their moorings in the Rockland-Owls Head area.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 heavy snow, 10 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Central Somerset

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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, Northern Franklin

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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, Southern Franklin

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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 Oxford

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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, Androscoggin

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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, Interior Cumberland

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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 Waldo

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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, Interior York

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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, Kennebec

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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, Southern Somerset

When
November 16, 9:00 PM EST to November 17, 1:00 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)

Winter Weather, Androscoggin

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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)

Winter Weather, Coastal Cumberland

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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)

Winter Weather, Coastal York

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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)

Winter Weather, Interior Cumberland

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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)

Winter Weather, Interior Waldo

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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)

Winter Weather, Interior York

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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)

Winter Weather, Kennebec

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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)

Winter Weather, Lincoln

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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)

Winter Weather, Sagadahoc

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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)

Winter Weather, Southern Somerset

When
November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 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.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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, November 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5321345, 5321346, 5321347, 5321348, 5321349, 5321350, 5321351, 5321352, 5321353, 5321354, 5321355, 5321356, 5321357, 5321358, 5321359, 5321360, 5321361, 5321362, 5322657, 5322658, 5322659.