Thunderstorms developed along a cold front crossing the region during the afternoon of the 3rd. Some of the storms were severe producing damaging winds.
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 CAR wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed along a cold front crossing the region during the afternoon of the 3rd. Some of the storms were severe producing damaging winds.
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 Aug 3, 12:47 PM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 147 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA TODAY WITH POSSIBLE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN FOR SATURDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... UPDATE: 17Z SFC ANALYSIS HAD THE COLD FRONT PUSHING ACROSS QUEBEC WITH GYX/CANADIAN RADARS INDICATING SOME SHOWERS/TSTMS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN AREAS AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. STILL LOOKING FOR SOME STORMS TO BE STRONG W/VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS. INCLUDED NORTHERN PISCATAQUIS AND NE AROOSTOOK COUNTY IN THE LATEST HWO FOR STRONG TSTMS. ACTIVITY SHOULD WIND DOWN BY EVENING AS FRONT MOVES EAST AND BEST INSTABILITY SHIFTS EAST. JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE HAS HIT THE CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURE. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES FROM SPC MESO-ANALYSIS PAGE INDICATE 6.0 TO 6.5C/KM ACROSS THE NORTH-CENTRAL AND DOWEAST REGIONS. SBCAPES HITTING 2000 JOULES IN THESE AREAS AS WELL SO BUOYANCY IS THERE. TWEAKED QPF USING NERFC AND GFS AND THEN ADJUSTED MANUALLY. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... MAIN FOCUS FOR TODAY WILL BE ON THE NEXT...SOMEWHAT STRONGER COLD FRONT WHICH CURRENTLY XTNDS NE-SW FROM CENTRAL QUEBEC DOWN INTO THE ERN GRT LAKES AND IS STILL EXPECTED TO SWING SEWRD ACROSS THE REGION LATER TODAY. SFC CONVERGENCE ALONG AND IN ADVANCE OF THIS BNDRY WILL INTERACT W/ TDS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S AND A HEALTHY UPPER SHORT WAVE TO TRIGGER THE THREAT OF SOME CONVECTION ACROSS THE AREA BY LATE AM INTO THE AFTN W/ ACTIVITY WINDING DOWN FROM NW-SE LATER THIS AFTN AS DRIER AIR BEGINS TO WORK INTO THE REGION. WHILE SHEAR VALS NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE...SFC BASED CAPES JUMP UP NR 2000 J/KG ACROSS CENTRAL/E CENTRAL AREAS BY ERLY AFTN SO EXPECT THE THREAT OF AN ISOLD STRONG TO SVR TSTM CAN NOT BE RULED OUT AND WILL CONT ENHANCED WORDING... SIMILAR TO THE LAST FEW DYS...ANY ERLY AM FOG/STRATUS TODAY SHOULD LIFT/BURN OFF RATHER QUICKLY THIS AM W/ OUR COASTAL AREAS BEING THE SLOWEST TO IMPROVE. A MORE SWRLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW SHOULD ALLOW HIGH TEMPS TO REACH THE LOWER TO MID 80S N AND MID TO UPPER 80S S AWAY FROM THE COAST... WHILE DRIER AIR OVERSPREADS THE AREA FROM NW-SE TNGT...CLRG SKIES AND LGT WINDS WILL ALLOW FOR SIGNIFICANT COOLING LIKELY ALLOWING TEMPS TO REACH TDS AND INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME FOG AGAIN TNGT. IN THESE SCENARIOS IT IS ALWAYS A RACE BTWN THE DRYING AND COOLING AND WHICH FACTOR WINS OUT. FOR NOW...WILL CARRY PATCHY FOG N AND CENTRAL W/ AREAS DOWNEAST AS THESE WILL BE THE LAST TO SEE THE DRIER AIR... EXPECT LOWS TNGT TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER THAN THE LAST FEW DYS...AT LEAST FOR OUR CENTRAL AND NRN AREAS W/ LOWS RANGING FROM THE LOWER TO MID 50S N TO THE LOWERS 60S S. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... EXPECT THE WEEKEND TO BE MAINLY DRY WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE REGION. SATURDAY WILL START OUT MOSTLY SUNNY, BUT CLOUDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH LATE IN THE DAY AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHWARD. THIS BOUNDARY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND MAY PRODUCE A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AS IT DOES SO. MUGGIER AIR WILL SPREAD INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE FRONT WITH A RETURN OF MID 60S DEWPOINTS BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION FROM QUEBEC SUNDAY AFTERNOON, BUT MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL LATE IN THE DAY, EXCEPT PERHAPS IN FAR WESTERN AREAS. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE STATE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. THE TIMING OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE IS NOT OPTIMAL FOR INSTABILITY, THOUGH 0-6 KM SHEAR INCREASES TO AROUND 30 KT JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. DOWNEAST AREAS WOULD HAVE THE BEST CHANCES OF SEEING ANY ORGANIZED CONVECTION, AS STORMS WOULD MOST LIKELY BE ELEVATED ACROSS THE NORTH. ALSO OF CONCERN IS INCREASING MOISTURE TRANSPORT AHEAD OF THE FRONT; MODELS ARE INDICATING PWATS OF 2+ INCHES AREAWIDE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION, THE WARM CLOUD LAYER LOOKS TO BE DEEP, AROUND 13-14 KFT. THIS MEANS THAT ANY STORMS WOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN. ONCE THE FRONT GOES BY, HIGH PRESSURE AND DRIER WEATHER RETURNS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. THEN ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL GRADUALLY MOVE SOUTH TUESDAY NIGHT, BECOMING NEARLY STATIONARY NEAR THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY WEDNESDAY BEFORE FINALLY PUSHING SOUTH INTO DOWNEAST MAINE WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY. THE LONGER-TERM MODELS ARE SHOWING SOME DIFFERENCES IN TIMING OF THIS FEATURE AND ITS ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION, SO HAVE STUCK WITH 20-30 POPS FOR MID WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL BE SEASONABLE THROUGH THE WEEK. && .AVIATION /18Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... NEAR TERM: ALL TAF SITES IFR ATTM XCPT KPQI WHICH IS CURRENTLY MVFR. THIS RATHER IRONIC CONSIDERING A TSTM DROPPED SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL ON PQI THU AFTN WHERE MOST OTHER AREAS SO LITTLE OR NO RAINFALL... IN ANY CASE...THINK KPQI WILL JOIN THE REST SHORTLY. IFR CONDS SHOULD THEN PERSIST INTO THE AM HRS SIMILAR TO LAST SEVERAL DAYS W/ KBHB NEAR THE SRN COAST THE SLOWEST TO IMPROVE. DESPITE THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT LATER TODAY AND THE INFLUX OF LOWER TDS...LGT WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT TNGT AND CLR SKIES WILL LEAD TO GOOD COOLING AND WILL LIKELY RESULT IN PATCHY FOG ACROSS THE NRN TAF SITES W/ MORE WDSPRD FOG S... SHORT TERM: VFR IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND, WITH EXCEPTION OF IFR DUE TO PATCHY FOG LATE SATURDAY NIGHT, ESPECIALLY AT THE TERMINALS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA EARLY MONDAY, PRODUCING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. WHILE VFR SHOULD PREVAIL THROUGH MIDWEEK, MVFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN ANY PRECIPITATION SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: WINDS/SEAS SHOULD REMAIN BLO SCA LEVELS THRU TNGT. FOG WILL CONT TO BE AN ISSUE THRU TNGT. SHORT TERM: A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED LATE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY AS SOUTH WINDS INCREASE AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. WINDS WILL BE BORDERLINE /GUSTS AROUND 20 KT/ BUT WAVES LOOK TO REACH 5-6 FT LATE SUNDAY EVENING AND REMAIN SO INTO EARLY MONDAY NIGHT. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...HEWITT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 1040 AM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 MEZ002-004>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-041445- NORTHEAST AROOSTOOK-NORTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN PENOBSCOT- SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK-CENTRAL PISCATAQUIS-CENTRAL PENOBSCOT- SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT-INTERIOR HANCOCK-CENTRAL WASHINGTON- COASTAL HANCOCK-COASTAL WASHINGTON-SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS- NORTHERN WASHINGTON- 1040 AM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...NORTH CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE AND SOUTHEAST MAINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG WINDS GUSTS AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ARE ENCOURAGED TO RELAY ANY WEATHER INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CARIBOU. ANZ050>052-041445- 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- 1040 AM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND 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. MEZ001-003-041445- NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK-NORTHERN SOMERSET- 1040 AM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL MAINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND 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. HEWITT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Large tree branches were snapped along Route 171 by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph. The time is estimated.
A birch tree was toppled on the Coffin Road by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph. The time is estimated.
A wind gust estimated at 60 mph was reported at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center.
Power lines were brought down by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph. The time is estimated.
Large tree branches were snapped along Exeter Road by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph. The time is estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maine in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, August 2012
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: 400898, 400899, 400900, 400901, 400903.