Thunderstorms developed across northern Aroostook county during the afternoon of the 15th. The storms formed along a stalled frontal boundary and in advance of an approaching upper disturbance.
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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.
Thunderstorms developed across northern Aroostook county during the afternoon of the 15th. The storms formed along a stalled frontal boundary and in advance of an approaching upper disturbance. Some of the storms were severe producing large hail and 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 Jul 15, 1:52 PM EST, 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 252 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 .SYNOPSIS... THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST TONIGHT. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA MONDAY MORNING. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH ON TUESDAY AND CROSS THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... CONVECTIVE AVAILABLE POTENTIAL ENERGY IS STRONG THIS EVENING BUT MECHANISMS FOR INITIATING CONVECTION ARE WEAK. SOME THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN POPPING UP ACROSS THE AREA AND MAY CONTINUE TO AFFECT PARTS OF THE REGION MAINLY INLAND FROM THE COAST EARLY THIS EVENING. WINDS ALOFT ARE WEAK BUT WITH POTENTIALLY LOCALLY DEEP CONVECTION DUE TO THE STRONG CAPE THERE MAY BE SOME GUSTY WINDS IN ANY THUNDERSTORMS EARLY THIS EVENING SO MENTIONED CHANCE OF GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL EARLY THIS EVENING. LATER TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING A SURFACE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. CONVERGENCE ALONG THIS TROUGH SHOULD BRING SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY SOME THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION ON MONDAY. THE SURFACE TROUGH IS STRONGEST ACROSS THE NORTH SO WILL MENTION LIKELY SHOWERS WITH CHANCES FOR SHOWERS ELSEWHERE. CLOUDINESS MONDAY WILL LIMIT SOLAR HEATING SO WILL ONLY MENTION CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS. HUMID AIR WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SOME PATCHY FOG TONIGHT WITH AREAS OF FOG EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH NORTHERN AND DOWNEAST MAINE MONDAY NIGHT AND THEN EXIT TUESDAY MORNING. A POTENT H5 SHORT WAVE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN MAINE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF DYNAMICS WITH THIS SYSTEM...THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS TO RAISE CAPE VALUES. SPC IS HIGHLIGHTING A POTENTIAL SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IF THE FRONT ARRIVES IN THE AFTERNOON AND WITH ADEQUATE DAYTIME INSOLATION. ALSO EXPECT DECENT QPF OF .25 TO .50 INCH WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. COOLER AND DRIER AIR MOVES INTO MAINE ON WEDNESDAY BEHIND THE FRONT. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... GFS/ECMWF BOTH SHOW THE UPPER LOW SHEARING INTO TWO DISTINCT WAVES. WITH THE FARTHER WEST ONE ROTING ACROSS THE REGION ON THURSDAY. AIRMASS SHOULD BE MUCH DRIER BUT STILL THINK SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THINK MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY WILL DISSIPATE AT SUNSET. MAY STILL HAVE ENERGY ROTATING THROUGH THE SYSTEM ON FRIDAY. WILL HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ON FRIDAY WITH THE COMBINATION OF HEATING AND RESIDUAL ENERGY SLIDING ACROSS. A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY BETWEEN MODELS WITH THE HANDLING OF THE NEXT SHORTWAVE POSSIBLY MOVING ACROSS THE REGION AT THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD SO WILL LEAVE FORECAST DRY FOR NOW. && .AVIATION /17Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... NEAR TERM: VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS. FOG AND MIST MAY LOWER CONDITIONS TO MVFR OR IFR FOR A WHILE LATE TONIGHT ACROSS THE AREA. CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN TO MVFR TO VFR ON MONDAY. SHORT TERM: IFR/MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE TAF SITES. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: WINDS AND SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SCA TONIGHT AND MONDAY. HUMID AIR OVER THE WATERS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN FOG TONIGHT AND MONDAY WITH THE DENSEST FOG OVER THE COOLEST WATERS WHICH ARE ALONG THE WASHINGTON COUNTY COAST. SHORT TERM: WINDS AND WAVES EXPECTED TO BE BELOW SCA DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...BLOOMER SHORT TERM...OKULSKI LONG TERM...RUNYAN AVIATION...BLOOMER MARINE...BLOOMER/OKULSKI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 411 AM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-161100- 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- 411 AM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...NORTH CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE...SOUTHEAST MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL MAINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REFORM BEGINNING OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION WHERE THE GREATEST HEATING AND INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED. A FEW OF THE STRONGEST STORMS MAY CONTAIN HAIL. OVERALL...THE POTENTIAL FOR AT LEAST ONE TO A FEW WARNINGS TO BE ISSUED DURING THIS TIME FRAME CAN BE CONSIDERED LOW TO MODERATE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN MAINE LATER TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE BUT SEVERITY WILL DEPEND ON SEVERAL FACTORS TO INCLUDE THE TIMING OF THIS FRONT THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA AND THE TRACK OF A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS OR PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS BY CALLING THE SPOTTER HOTLINE. ANZ050>052-161100- 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- 411 AM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. FOG IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO LOWER VSBYS TO 1 NM OR LESS OVR OUR WATERS LATE TONIGHT WHEN IN COMBINATION WITH MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS OR PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS BY CALLING THE SPOTTER HOTLINE. VJN
The Caribou radar (KCBW), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:31 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were toppled along South Main Street by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Trees were toppled along Fort Fairfield Road by wind gusts estimated at 65 mph.
Trees were toppled along Green Ridge Road by wind gusts estimated at 65 mph. The time is estimated.
Trees were toppled along Aroostook Falls Road by wind gusts estimated at 65 mph. The time is estimated.
Trees were toppled along Russell Road by wind gusts estimated at 65 mph. The time is estimated.
Thunderstorms with very heavy rains produced excessive run-off from potato fields. The run-off overwhelmed a culvert which led to flash flooding. The flash flooding washed out three sections of Conant Road. The nearby Marshall Road was flooded in two locations.
Trees were toppled at the Fort Kent Golf Course 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, July 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: 400882, 400889, 400891, 403166, 403167, 400892, 400893, 400894, 400895, 400896, 400897.