Strong onshore winds developed in advance of a cold front crossing the region during the evening of the 15th. The strong winds toppled trees and power lines along portons of the Downeast coast.
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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.
Strong onshore winds developed in advance of a cold front crossing the region during the evening of the 15th. The strong winds toppled trees and power lines along portons of the Downeast coast. Winds gusted to 50 to 60 mph at times...with a peak gust of 61 mph measured at Cutler.
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 Dec 15, 7:41 PM EST, 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 741 PM EST MON DEC 15 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD EAST TUESDAY THEN CROSS THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT. WEAK LOW PRESSURE WILL APPROACH ON WEDNESDAY AND SLIDE TO OUR EAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FOR THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ON FRIDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... UPDATED THE GRIDS/ZFP TO GO W/A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE COAST. WINDS FROM SOME OF THE RAINWISE SITES GETTING CLOSE TO WARNING CRITERIA PLUS WET GROUND COULD ALLOW FOR SOME TREES TO COME DOWN. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST AND OUTER ISLANDS. CARWRF RUNNING WELL ATTM AND DECIDED TO USE IT FOR TONIGHT GIVEN ITS PERFORMANCE W/THE SCATTERED SHOWERS MOVING ACROSS THE CWA. TEMPS WARMING THROUGH THIS EVENING AND THEN THEY WILL FALL BACK AFT MIDNIGHT. USED THE HOURLY WRF TEMPS W/SOME ADJUSTMENTS ACROSS THE WNW W/THE ARRIVAL OF THE COLD FRONT. POPS WERE BACKED DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY W/60% POPS FOR W AND N THIS EVENING AND THEN A SMALL AREA WILL SHOW UP LATER W/THE COLD FROPA. SNOW AMOUNTS WERE BACKED DOWN AS WELL NOW SHOWING JUST TRACE AMOUNTS. A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION TONIGHT...WITH RAIN SHOWERS IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT. RAIN SHOWERS WILL THEN TRANSITION TO SNOW SHOWERS IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT...FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO PERSIST IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT ALONG THE DOWNEAST COAST...WHERE A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THE EVENING. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL RANGE FROM THE LOWER TO MID 20S NORTH...TO THE LOWER TO MID 30S DOWNEAST. SCATTERED SNOW/RAIN SHOWERS COULD LINGER DOWNEAST EARLY TUESDAY. OTHERWISE...CLOUD COVER WILL DECREASE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING EAST. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR STEADY TUESDAY...RANGING FROM THE LOWER TO MID 20S NORTH TO THE LOWER TO MID 30S DOWNEAST. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... A COLD AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE THURSDAY NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE CRESTS OVER THE REGION. THIS SHOULD ALLOW STRONG RADIATIONAL COOLING TO BRING A VERY COLD NIGHT ACROSS THE REGION WITH MANY SUBZERO READINGS OVER THE FAR NORTH. THE ONLY COMPLICATING FACTOR MAY BE HIGH CLOUDS BEGINNING TO SPREAD OVER THE AREA LATE AT NIGHT. THIS COULD LIMIT COOLING A BIT...BUT STILL WENT SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW GUIDANCE IN MOST AREAS. A WEAK SHORTWAVE APPROACHING ON WEDNESDAY WILL SUPPORT ONE LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES WITH A SECONDARY LOW OFF THE COAST. THE NAM IS CURRENTLY STRONGER WITH THE SECONDARY LOW THAN THE GFS...AND WOULD GIVE AROUND 4 INCHES OF SNOW TO THE AREA COMPARED WITH 2 INCHES FROM THE GFS. LIGHT SNOW SHOULD TAPER OFF TO SNOW SHOWERS WEDNESDAY EVENING. COLD HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN FOR THURSDAY. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS THE ECMWF AND GFS ARE AT ODDS AT THE START OF THE LONG TERM . BOTH MODELS ARE INDICATING A HIGH RIDGE ACROSS THE REGION WITH A LOW PRESS SYSTEM DEEPENING IN THE MIDWEST. THE GFS HAS A MUCH MORE DEVELOPED LOW CENTERED OVER LAKE MICHIGAN WITH AN OCCLUDED FRONTAL SYSTEM WRAPPED AROUND IT. THE ECMWF HAS A ELONGATED LOW EXTENDING FROM THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY BACK TOWARDS KANSAS CITY. EMBEDDED ARE 3 LOWS ONE ON OHIO...ONE IN SE INDIANA THE LAST OVER ST LOUIS. BY 00Z SAT THE OCCLUDED SYSTEM MAKE ITS WAY INTO THE NORTH ATLANTIC AND A NEW PRIMARY LOW WILL DEVELOP EAST OF CAPE COD. AT THIS POINT THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD GENERAL AGREEMENT ON LOCATION OF THE PRIMARY LOW...HOWEVER THE CENTRAL PRESS IS ABOUT 8MB DIFFERENT. THE OLD PRIMARY LOW FROM THE GFS IS INDICATED OVER SRN QUEBEC. IT WILL BE FILLING...WITH THE REMNANTS OF THE OCCLUDED FRONT WRAPPED AROUND IT. THE DISPARITY IN THE MODELS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. THE NEXT SYSTEM APPEARS TO CONTINUE THE PATTERN FROM PREVIOUS DAYS. THE GFS BRINGS A LOW PRES SYS OF THE COAST OF VA AT 00Z SUN. THE ECMWF BRINGS A INTO THE CAROLINAS BY 12Z SUN THEN MOVES IT N ALONG THE COAST TO NY BY 00Z. AT THIS TIME THE GFS INDICATES THAT THIS SYS WILL BE WELL EAST INTO THE CANADIAN MARITIMES. AT THIS TIME THERE IS TO MUCH UNCERTAINTY IN THE TRACK OF THE SYSTEM TO DETERMINE WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY WIN OUT. LOADED THE GMOS AND ADJUSTED THE SKY AND POP GRIDS TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. MADE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SEA GRIDS. && .AVIATION /01Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES TONIGHT IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT CROSSING THE REGION. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE DOWNEAST COAST EARLY TONIGHT. MVFR CONDITIONS COULD LINGER EARLY TUESDAY...PARTICULARLY ACROSS DOWNEAST AREAS. CONDITIONS WILL THEN IMPROVE TO VFR FOR ALL AREAS LATER TUESDAY MORNING. VFR CONDITIONS TUESDAY NIGHT WILL LOWER TO IFR FROM SOUTH TO NORTH IN SNOW WEDNESDAY MORNING. IFR CONDITIONS IN LIGHT SNOW WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING WILL IMPROVE TO MVFR LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT THEN VFR ON THURSDAY. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE FRIDAY WITH DEVELOPING SNOW...THEN IMPROVE AGAIN SATURDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS TONIGHT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS/SEAS ARE THEN EXPECTED TUESDAY. VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED IN RAIN SHOWERS AND PATCHY FOG TONIGHT...WITH LINGERING RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS TUESDAY MORNING. SHORT TERM: WINDS AND SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BELOW SCA TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR MEZ029-030. MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL 5 AM EST TUESDAY FOR ANZ050>052. && NEAR TERM...HEWITT/NORCROSS SHORT TERM...BLOOMER LONG TERM...NORTON AVIATION...HEWITT/NORCROSS MARINE...HEWITT/NORCROSS/BLOOMER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 404 PM EST MON DEC 15 2008 MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-031-032-161200- NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK-NORTHEAST AROOSTOOK-NORTHERN SOMERSET- NORTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN PENOBSCOT-SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK- CENTRAL PISCATAQUIS-CENTRAL PENOBSCOT-SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT- INTERIOR HANCOCK-CENTRAL WASHINGTON-SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS- NORTHERN WASHINGTON- 404 PM EST MON DEC 15 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...NORTH CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE...SOUTHEAST MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL MAINE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH LOW PRESSURE TRACKING SOUTH OF THE REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MEZ029-030-161200- COASTAL HANCOCK-COASTAL WASHINGTON- 404 PM EST MON DEC 15 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MAINE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH LOW PRESSURE TRACKING SOUTH OF THE REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER WIND REPORTS WILL BE NEEDED THIS EVENING. ANZ050>052-161200- 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- 404 PM EST MON DEC 15 2008 ...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EST TUESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. GALE WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. 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.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Estimated wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph occurred in advance of a cold front crossing the region. The strong winds toppled trees and power lines across portions of the Downeast coast.
Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph occurred in advance of a cold front crossing the region. The strong winds toppled trees and power lines across portions of the Downeast coast. A peak wind gust of 61 mph was measured at Cutler.
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, December 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: 144732, 144733.