A moderately unstable airmass remained over Maine on the 19th of July with a stalled frontal boundary draped across the northern portion of the state. Thunderstorms developed on an instability axis across southern sections of the state around mid afternoon.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 GYX wrote it up.
A moderately unstable airmass remained over Maine on the 19th of July with a stalled frontal boundary draped across the northern portion of the state. Thunderstorms developed on an instability axis across southern sections of the state around mid afternoon. Large hail was mainly associated with these storms but larger cells also produced reports of wind damage.
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 Jul 19, 1:20 PM EST, 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME 220 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 .SYNOPSIS... NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND REMAINS IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON. THE BOUNDARY WILL HANG AROUND NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND THROUGH MID TO LATE WEEK...AND RIPPLES OF LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE ALONG IT. THIS WILL KEEP NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND IN A RATHER UNSETTLED PATTERN FOR MUCH OF THE UPCOMING WORKWEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING/... MUCH AS EXPECTED...CONVECTION DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL NH THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT THE CONVECTION TO CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY AS THE AFTERNOON CONTINUES. SPC HAS PLACE MOST OF NH AND SOUTHERN MAINE IN A WATCH THROUGH 9PM. BEST CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOPMENT WILL REMAIN ALONG A LINE FROM CENTRAL GRAFTON COUNTY IN NH...EASTWARD TO BOOTH BAY HARBOR IN MAINE. STORMS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED OVER LOCATIONS FURTHER NORTH HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME SURVIVING. && .SHORT TERM /9 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY/... ONCE CONVECTION DIES DOWN...THE PRIMARY ISSUE WILL ONCE AGAIN BE FORMATION OF FOG. EXPECT RADIATIONAL FOG TO DEVELOP IN MOIST AIRMASS DURING THE OVERNIGHT. SOME LOCATIONS SHOULD SEE VISIBILITIES REDUCED TO AROUND 1/4 MILE. STRONGER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO APPROACH ALONG THE QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY. IMPACT DURING THE MORNING WILL ONLY BE IN THE WAY OF MID LEVEL CLOUDS. AS THE DAY PROGRESSES THOUGH...POPS WILL INCREASE FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO THE NORTHEAST. EXPECT HIGH CHANCE POPS BY LATE AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... THE MAIN FORECAST PROBLEM IN THIS PERIOD WILL BE THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT SUNDAY NIGHT. AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES REMAIN ABOVE 1.50 INCHES...IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE PASSAGE OF THE WARM FRONT SUNDAY NIGHT WILL ACT AS A FOCUS FOR WARM PROCESS HEAVY RAIN. BASED ON THE EXPECTED POSITION OF THE LOW AND MID LEVEL WARM FRONT SUNDAY NIGHT...THE GREATEST THREAT APPEARS TO BE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS INTO CENTRAL MAINE SUNDAY EVENING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF MONDAY. THIS AREA GOT HEAVY RAIN FRIDAY...BUT IT WAS NOT CONCENTRATED. THUS... THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANY ONE PLACE MORE AT RISK THAN ANOTHER. IN ADDITION...THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PLACEMENT OF HEAVY RAIN AMONG MODELS (THE 12000 UTC GFS PLACES IT IN QUEBEC). SO NOT FLOOD WATCH AT THIS TIME...DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY. MODEL SOUNDINGS ALSO INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR ELEVATED CONVECTION... SO WILL INCLUDE A CHANCE OF THUNDER AS WELL. SINCE THERE IS NOT AIRMASS CHANGE SUNDAY NIGHT...A BLEND OF MOS NUMBERS WERE USED FOR LOWS. THERE IS ALSO A FAIRLY LARGE DIFFERENCE IN TIMING BETWEEN THE 1200 UTC NAM AND GFS WITH RESPECT TO THE PASSAGE OF THE WARM FRONT LATE SUNDAY AND THE COLD FRONT MONDAY. AT THIS POINT...WOULD TEND TO FAVOR THE SLOWER GFS...AS IT SEEMS TO HAVE MODEL CONSENSUS SUPPORT. IN ANY EVENT...INSTABILITY APPEARS TO BE LIMITED MONDAY...SO WILL NOT HIT THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TOO HARD MONDAY AFTERNOON (WITH RESPECT TO ENHANCED WORDING). BECAUSE OF THE TIMING DIFFERENCES...THE GFS MOS IS A FEW DEGREES WARMER MONDAY BEFORE THE COLD FRONT. BASED ON ITS SLOWER SOLUTION... THIS MAKES SENSE AND IS ACCEPTED FOR HIGHS. THE AIRMASS SLOWLY DRIES MONDAY NIGHT...AND THIS SHOULD ALLOW ALL AREAS TO EXPERIENCE SOME CLEARING. WITH THE AIRMASS CHANGE TAKING PLACE MONDAY NIGHT...USED A BLEND OF MOS NUMBERS FOR LOWS AS THE GFS MOS SEEMED TOO COLD. FOR TUESDAY...WOULD EXPECT A MORE STABLE AIRMASS TO BE IN PLACE. THUS...WILL FORECAST A MOSTLY DRY DAY AS MODELS SUGGEST TOO MUCH ONSHORE FLOW FOR MUCH IN THE WAY OF DIURNAL CONVECTION. AFTER TUESDAY...THE CONFIDENCE IN THE FORECAST IS LESS THAN NORMAL. THE POSITION OF THE STATIONARY FRONT WILL BE THE KEY TO HOW MUCH (IF ANY) SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WE WILL SEE HERE. AT THIS TIME...DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY...WILL PROBABLY CARRY A CHANCE MOST DAYS...THROUGH THIS MAY END UP BEING MORE PESSIMISTIC THAN WHAT WILL ACTUALLY OCCUR. THIS WILL BE CLOSE TO A MODEL BLEND THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... SHORT TERM...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY OVER CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE WILL AFFECT TAF SITES FROM KPWM SOUTH. KAUG MAY BE IMPACTED BY THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. EXPECT RADIATIONAL FOG TO DEVELOP TONIGHT...DROPPING CONDITIONS TO IFR/LIFR IN PLACES. KCON AND KLEB ARE THE TWO SITES MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED BY FOG TONIGHT. LONG TERM... IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT WITH THE APPROACH OF THE WARM FRONT. AFTER THIS...SHOULD SEE CONDITIONS COME UP TO MVFR AND PERHAPS VFR AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT MONDAY. THE PROXIMITY OF THE FRONT WILL KEEP THE THREAT OF MVFR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .MARINE... SHORT TERM...3 TO 4 FOOT SWELLS HAVE FINALLY COME DOWN TO AROUND 2 TO 3 FEET THIS AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO AFFECT THE SOUTHERN WATERS FROM PORT CLYDE SOUTH. EXPECT SOME PATCHY FOG TO SET UP OVER THE WATERS DURING THE OVERNIGHT. OTHER THAN CONVECTIVE ISSUES...NO FLAGS ANTICIPATED. LONG TERM... WOULD EXPECT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE WARM FRONT SUNDAY NIGHT THAT THERE WILL BE A PERIOD OF SMALL CRAFT SOUTHWEST WINDS...BUT THIS WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE TIMING ON THE PASSAGE. MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THAT THERE MAY BE A WINDOW FOR GUSTS TO NEAR 35 KNOTS...BUT AT THIS POINT NOT SURE THAT DEPTH OF THE MIXED LAYER WILL SUPPORT THAT. WINDS SHOULD DROP OFF MONDAY MORNING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. SEAS MAY STAY UP ABOVE SMALL CRAFT LEVELS THROUGH MONDAY AS THE SWELL GENERATED BY THE SOUTHWEST FLOW SORTS ITSELF OUT. AFTER THIS...WINDS AND SEAS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT LEVELS. STILL MUCH TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF THE SWELL FROM TROPICAL DEPRESSION THREE WILL AFFECT THE WATERS LATER THIS WEEK. && .GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...NONE. NH...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HAYES/POHL NEAR TERM...POHL SHORT TERM...POHL LONG TERM...HAYES AVIATION...HAYES/POHL MARINE...HAYES/POHL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME 134 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 MEZ007>009-013-014-021-022-026>028-NHZ001-002-201745- NORTHERN OXFORD-NORTHERN FRANKLIN-CENTRAL SOMERSET-SOUTHERN FRANKLIN- SOUTHERN SOMERSET-KENNEBEC-INTERIOR WALDO-LINCOLN-KNOX-COASTAL WALDO- NORTHERN COOS-SOUTHERN COOS- 134 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MAINE AND NORTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM PREDICTION CENTER FORECASTS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL OR RADIO IN SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MEZ012-018>020-023>025-NHZ003>010-013-014-201745- SOUTHERN OXFORD-INTERIOR YORK-INTERIOR CUMBERLAND-ANDROSCOGGIN- COASTAL YORK-COASTAL CUMBERLAND-SAGADAHOC-NORTHERN GRAFTON- NORTHERN CARROLL-SOUTHERN GRAFTON-SOUTHERN CARROLL-SULLIVAN- MERRIMACK-BELKNAP-STRAFFORD-INTERIOR ROCKINGHAM-COASTAL ROCKINGHAM- 134 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 702 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MAINE...CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE...NORTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL OR RADIO IN SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ANZ150-151-201745- STONINGTON ME TO PORT CLYDE ME OUT TO 25 NM-PENOBSCOT BAY- 134 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PENOBSCOT BAY AND THE COASTAL WATERS FROM STONINGTON ME TO PORT CLYDE ME. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM PREDICTION CENTER FORECASTS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL OR RADIO IN SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ANZ152>154-201745- PORT CLYDE ME TO CAPE ELIZABETH ME OUT TO 25 NM-CASCO BAY- CAPE ELIZABETH ME TO MERRIMACK RIVER MA OUT TO 25 NM- 134 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 702 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CASCO BAY...THE COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE ELIZABETH ME TO MERRIMACK RIVER MA AND THE COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT CLYDE ME TO CAPE ELIZABETH ME. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL OR RADIO IN SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME 1246 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 NHZ003-004-006-191730- NORTHERN CARROLL-NORTHERN GRAFTON-SOUTHERN CARROLL- 1246 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT GRAFTON COUNTY AND CARROLL COUNTY THROUGH 130 PM EDT... AT 1246 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED ABOUT 7 MILES WEST OF LINCOLN...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT LOST RIVER... EASTON...BENTON...FRANCONIA NOTCH STATE PARK...NORTH WOODSTOCK... WOODSTOCK...LINCOLN...WATERVILLE VALLEY...LIVERMORE AND BARTLETT THROUGH 130 PM EDT. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. HAYES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME 303 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 NHZ007-192000- SULLIVAN- 303 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SULLIVAN COUNTY THROUGH 400 PM EDT... AT 303 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED ABOUT 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF CLAREMONT...MOVING EAST AT 22 MPH. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PLAINFIELD...CLAREMONT...CORNISH...MERIDEN...CORNISH FLAT...CROYDON...NEWPORT...GRANTHAM...SUNAPEE AND SPRINGFIELD THROUGH 400 PM EDT. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS TO 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. HAYES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME 305 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 MEZ018-023-191945- COASTAL YORK-INTERIOR YORK- 305 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT YORK COUNTY THROUGH 345 PM EDT... AT 305 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED OVER SANFORD...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND SPRINGVALE...SANFORD...LEBANON...ALFRED...LYMAN...GOODWINS MILLS... WELLS...KENNEBUNK...FERRY BEACH STATE PARK AND SACO THROUGH 345 PM EDT. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS TO 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. HAYES
The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:14 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A severe thunderstorm downed trees 2 miles northeast of Sanford.
A servere thunderstorm produced .88 inch hail in Kennebunk.
A severe thunderstorm produced 1.25 inch hail 2 miles northeast of Kennebunk near Bartlett Mills. There were also numerous reports of hail between .88 and 1.25 in the surrounding area at this time.
A servere thunderstorm produced 1 inch hail in West Bowdoin.
A severe thunderstorm downed trees in York.
A severe thunderstorm downed trees on Route 27 in Boothbay.
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, July 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: 123243, 123233, 123235, 123241, 123246, 123249.