An ice jam on the Aroostook River near Washburn caused brief minor flooding which lasted less than an hour. The water rose less than half a foot above flood stage.
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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.
The episode as NWS CAR wrote it up.
An ice jam on the Aroostook River near Washburn caused brief minor flooding which lasted less than an hour. The water rose less than half a foot above flood stage. River levels quickly fell with the release of the ice jam.
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 Apr 18, 3:43 PM EST, 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
443 PM EDT FRI APR 18 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY. THE FRONT WILL THEN LIFT NORTH SUNDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...
A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY. ALOFT...UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BUILD ACROSS
THE REGION TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO RETURN
OVER THE TOP OF THE BUILDING UPPER RIDGE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY.
SKIES WILL BECOME MOSTLY CLOUDY ACROSS NORTHERN AREAS TONIGHT...WITH
SKIES BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY DOWNEAST. SKIES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY
CLOUDY ACROSS NORTHERN AREAS SATURDAY...WITH AN ISOLATED SHOWER
POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON. SKIES WILL BE PARTLY SUNNY ACROSS
CENTRAL/DOWNEAST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA SATURDAY. LOW
TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 30S NORTH...TO THE
UPPER 30S TO AROUND 40 DOWNEAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES SATURDAY WILL
RANGE FROM THE LOWER TO MID 50S NORTH...TO THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER
60S DOWNEAST.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
WARM FRONT EXPECTED TO RETREAT NORTH ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION
OF THE FORECAST AREA AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PERIOD. WILL GENERATE
LOW POPS OVER NORTH USING A 50/50 BLEND OF THE GFS40 AND NAM12 FOR
SATURDAY NIGHT...OTHERWISE EXPECT DRY CONDITIONS FOR THE REMAINDER
OF THIS PERIOD. WILL ALSO GENERATE THE SKY CONDITIONS USING MODEL
BLEND. HAVE USED GMOS FOR WIND...TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT. QPF
INITIALIZED WITH MODEL BLEND...HOWEVER AMOUNTS IN NORTH APPEAR TOO
HIGH SATURDAY NIGHT SO HAVE LOWERED BY 50 PERCENT.
&&
.LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
ALL LONG RANGE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH UPPER RIDGE
BUILDING OVER THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
VARYING AMOUNTS OF CLOUDS WILL RIDE OVER THE UPPER RIDGE ACROSS
MAINLY NORTHERN SECTIONS BUT EXPECT DRY CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE.
BASICALLY USED THE GMOS BUT THE CLOUDS APPEARED TO BE UNDERDONE SO
USED A BLEND OF THE GFS AND GMOS FOR THE SKY GRIDS. RIDGE MOVES
EAST OF THE REGION EARLY THURSDAY ALLOWING FOR WEAK COLD FRONT TO
CROSS THE REGION ON THURSDAY. HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS FOR FRIDAY.
&&
.AVIATION /20Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
NEAR TERM: VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY.
SHORT TERM: GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT THRU
WEDNESDAY.
&&
.MARINE...
NEAR TERM: A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS DUE TO SWELL
REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY.
SHORT TERM: HAVE INITIALIZED WIND GRIDS WITH A 50/50 BLEND OF THE
NAM12 AND GFS40. WILL INCREASE WIND SPEEDS A FEW KNOTS SATURDAY
NIGHT IN NORTHEAST FLOW...OTHERWISE NO OTHER CHANGES TO MODEL WIND
BLEND. FOR WAVES: SOUTHEAST SWELL EXPECTED TO PERSIST INTO THE
BEGINNING OF THIS FORECAST PERIOD. SUSPECT WAVE MODEL WILL BE A
LITTLE SLOW IN REDUCING LONG PERIOD WAVE TRAIN SO WILL INCREASE
WAVE HEIGHTS 1 FOOT THRU THIS FORECAST PERIOD. NORTHEAST WIND WAVE
2 TO 3 FEET AS DEPICTED IN SPECTRAL SATURDAY NIGHT LOOKS
REASONABLE.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
CONTINUED SNOWMELT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO RISING RIVER AND STREAM
LEVELS ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ACROSS NORTHERN
RIVER BASINS INCLUDING THE SAINT JOHN...ALLAGASH...AROOSTOOK AND
THEIR TRIBUTARIES RIVER LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE ALONG WITH
CONTINUED ICE MOVEMENT. THIS ICE MOVEMENT COULD LEAD TO ICE JAMS
AND RAPID FLUCTUATIONS IN RIVER LEVELS. FOR THE PENOBSCOT RIVER
AND TRIBUTARIES...RIVER LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE DUE TO
SNOWMELT IN THE HEADWATER AREAS. RIVER AND STREAM LEVELS WILL
CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND FLOOD WATCHES OR
WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED IF FLOODING THREATENS.
&&
.CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ME...NONE.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS UNTIL 5 AM EDT SUNDAY
FOR ANZ050-051.
&&
NEAR TERM...NORCROSS
SHORT TERM...MIGNONE
LONG TERM...FOSTER
AVIATION...NORCROSS
MARINE...NORCROSS/MIGNONE
HYDROLOGY...NORCROSSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 500 PM EDT FRI APR 18 2008 MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-191200- NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK-NORTHEAST AROOSTOOK-NORTHERN SOMERSET- NORTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN PENOBSCOT-SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK- CENTRAL PISCATAQUIS-CENTRAL PENOBSCOT-SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT- INTERIOR HANCOCK-CENTRAL WASHINGTON-COASTAL HANCOCK- COASTAL WASHINGTON-SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN WASHINGTON- 500 PM EDT FRI APR 18 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...NORTH CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE...SOUTHEAST MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL MAINE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT RIVER AND STREAM LEVELS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED AND CONTINUE TO RISE ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ACROSS NORTHERN RIVER BASINS...ICE MOVEMENT WILL ALSO CONTINUE WHICH COULD LEAD TO ICE JAMS AND SUDDEN FLUCTUATIONS IN RIVER LEVELS. PLEASE MONITOR HYDROLOGIC STATEMENTS...FLOOD WARNINGS AND FLOOD WATCHES FOR THE LATEST HYDROLOGIC INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT SO THEY CAN RELAY THE REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN CARIBOU. ANZ050>052-191200- COASTAL WATERS FROM EASTPORT ME TO SCHOODIC POINT ME OUT 25 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT ME TO STONINGTON ME OUT 25 NM- INTRACOASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT ME TO STONINGTON ME- 500 PM EDT FRI APR 18 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NORCROSS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
An ice jam on the Aroostook River near Washburn caused brief minor flooding. The flooding lasted less than an hour...with water levels rising less than a half foot above flood stage. River levels quickly fell with the release of the ice jam.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maine in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, April 2008
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: 96631.