An isolated severe thunderstorm developed across southern Penobscot county during the evening of the 18th along a neary stationary frontal boundary. The thunderstorm produced 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.
An isolated severe thunderstorm developed across southern Penobscot county during the evening of the 18th along a neary stationary frontal boundary. The thunderstorm produced 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 18, 5:44 PM EST, 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 644 PM EDT THU JUL 18 2013 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRIEFLY BUILD ACROSS NORTHERN MAINE THIS AFTERNOON THEN SHIFT EAST OF THE STATE TONIGHT AS A WARM FRONT BEGINS TO MOVE BACK NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. THIS WARM FRONT WILL MOVE NORTHEAST OF THE REGION LATER FRIDAY THEN A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE STATE LATER FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. A DRIER AND COOLER CANADIAN AIRMASS WILL THEN BUILD INTO THE AREA ON SUNDAY AND REMAIN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... 645 PM UPDATE... A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE COVERS NORTHERN MAINE. THE COLD FRONT THAT CROSSED THE REGION LAST EVENING IS SOUTH OF THE CWA EARLY THIS EVENING AND WILL BEGIN TO WORK BACK TO THE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT LATER TONIGHT. THERE IS A BROKEN LINE OF SHOWERS THAT EXTENDS FROM SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS COUNTY TO CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY. A FEW MORE SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE SOUTH OF THIS LINE. ACROSS THE CROWN OF MAINE THE ATMOSPHERE IS DRIER AND MORE STABLE. THE WARM FRONT WILL BRING THE SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED STORMS TO THE NORTH OVERNIGHT...PROBABLY NOT REACHING FAR NORTHERN MAINE UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT. ADDED IN SOME ISOLATED THUNDER EARLY THIS EVENING TO THE SOUTH OF THE BROKEN LINE OF SHOWERS...EXCEPT ALONG THE COAST WHERE IT SHOULD REMAIN STABLE. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... A WARM FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND REPLACE THE COOLER AND DRIER AIR MASS WITH A WARMER AND MORE HUMID AIR MASS FOR FRIDAY. THE WARM FRONT WILL BRING SHOWERS LATER TONIGHT WITH SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS THAT MAY PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS IN NORTHERN ZONES BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY. THE CLOUDS WILL LIMIT LOWS TO THE LOW TO MID 60S. THE WARM FRONTAL CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL LINGER NORTH OF HOULTON IN THE MORNING AND KEEP TEMPERATURES COOLER...LIMITING INSTABILITY. FURTHER SOUTH TOWARDS BANGOR DOVER-FOXCROFT...LINCOLN AND MILLINOCKET...CLOUDS WILL BREAK UP AND ALLOW HEATING TO BRING TEMPERATURES TO THE UPPER 80S WITH DEW POINTS NEAR 70F. THIS IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT INSTABILITY WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO 45000 FEET. CLEARING WILL REACH NORTHERN ZONES A BIT LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND PRODUCE LESS CAPE WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S. HOWEVER...A COLD FRONT WILL BE SAGGING SOUTHWARD FROM QUEBEC AND SERVE AS A TRIGGER IN THESE NORTHERN ZONES. ALL AREAS WILL HAVE IMPRESSIVE 0-1 AND 0-6KM SHEAR TO SUPPORT SEVERE STORMS. LOW LCLS AND HODOGRAPHS SUGGEST THAT A ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT FRIDAY AFTERNOON. A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET...PWATS NEAR 2 INCHES...A DEEP WARM CLOUD LAYER AND CORFIDI VECTORS CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THE RISK OF URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING UNDER THE STRONGER STORMS. COASTAL ZONES SHOULD BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A BRISK SOUTHERLY WIND THAT SHOULD AGAIN DAMPEN STORMS FOR THE COASTAL ZONES AND HAVE NOT CARRIED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THESE ZONES. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... CONVECTION WITH SEVERE POTENTIAL POSSIBLE IN SATURDAY AND THEN A COOL DOWN. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LIKELY INTO FRIDAY EVENING UP THROUGH MIDNIGHT AS IT LOOKS ATTM W/THE PRE-FRONTAL BOUNDARY. STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS, VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WITH FLASH FLOODING A BIG POSSIBILITY. SB CAPES REACHING WELL ABOVE 1500 J/KG AND LIS ABV -5 WILL LEND SUPPORT FOR TSTM DEVELOPMENT. STRONG DIRECTIONAL/SPEED SHEAR W/GOOD TURNING UP THROUGH 5K FT WILL LEAD TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME STORMS TO ROTATE. THE MAIN AXIS WILL SHIFT FROM NORTHERN AREAS DURING THE AFTERNOON TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND INTERIOR SECTIONS OF DOWNEAST MAINE THROUGH THE EVENING. DECENT VALUES OF 0-3KM EHI(ENERGY HELICITY) SHOWS A POTENTIAL FOR SOME SPINNING/ROTATION. ACTIVITY WILL WEAKEN AFTER 06Z AS THE FORCING MOVES INTO NEW BRUNSWICK AND WEAKENS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE RATHER WARM FRIDAY NIGHT NOT DROPPING MUCH BELOW THE MID AND UPPER 60S. ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION LOOKS TAKE PLACE AGAIN IN THE AFTERNOON ON SATURDAY AS A POTENT COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. ATTM, THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND DOWNEAST REGION LOOK TO SEE THE BEST CHANCES FOR SEEING POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE TSTMS. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS, HEAVY RAINFALL AND HAIL. DAYTIME HIGHS FOR SATURDAY WILL BE IN THE LOWER 80S ACROSS THE NORTH AND MID TO POSSIBLY UPPER 80S CENTRAL AND DOWNEAST MINUS THE COAST AS A SSW WIND WILL HELP TO KEEP THE IMMEDIATE COAST A BIT COOLER. THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO CLEAR THE COAST SATURDAY NIGHT W/HIGH PRES MOVING TOWARD THE AREA ON SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE MUCH COOLER BY SUNDAY MORNING. WE ARE TALKING MORNING LOWS OF UPPER 40S TO LOW 50S NORTH AND WEST AND MID TO UPPER 50S CENTRAL AND DOWNEAST. SUNDAY'S HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE SOME 10-15 DEGREES COOLER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER AT THE START OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD AND REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. TUES MRNG THE RIDGE WILL MOVE EAST AS A NEW LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVE INTO THE ERN GREAT LAKES REGION...THEN INTO ME EARLY EVNG TUES. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE SHOWING A LOW ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST MOVING NORTH ALONG THE COAST...AND A COLD FRONT MOVING EAST THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION. THE LOW WILL MOVE UP THE COAST INTO THE GULF OF MAINE OVERNIGHT TUES INTO WED. A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGHER PRESSURE WILL BRIEFLY BUILD IN...BEFORE THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO NW ME THURS MRNG. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD...AS THE COLD FRONT BECOMES STATIONARY OVER THE AREA AS THE SURFACE FRONT MOVES UP AGAINST THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AND STALLS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRANSIT ALONG THE BOUNDARY. LOADED A BLEND OF THE LAMP/RUC/NAM FOR HRLY T/DP/MAX/MIN TEMP. ALL MODEL BLEND FOR WND/SKY/POP...ADDED 15 PERCENT TO WINDS FOR GUSTS OVER LAND...20 PERCENT OVER COASTAL WATERS. && .AVIATION /22Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... NEAR TERM: VFR THIS EVENING. IFR CIGS AND IFR VIS IN HEAVY SHOWERS WILL MOVE INTO ALL AREAS LATER TONIGHT AND REMAIN INTO MID MORNING. NORTHEASTERN TERMINALS SUCH AS PQI...CAR AND FVE WILL BE THE LAST TO CLEAR TO VFR BY EARLY AFTERNOON. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE A MAJOR AVIATION HAZARD FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH STORMS TO FL450 WITH HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE...MOST LIKELY AT MLT...BGR...HUL AND LEAST LIKELY AT BHB. SHORT TERM: MVFR/IFR POTENTIAL FOR ALL TERMINALS FRIDAY NIGHT W/LLWS DUE TO TSTMS. SOME STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE AWAY FROM THE COAST. AN AWW COULD BE NEEDED FOR KBGR. ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION ON SATURDAY WILL LEAD TO MVFR AND PERHAPS IFR W/LLWS. IMPROVING CONDITIONS LATER SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY W/VFR. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: SOME FOG IS POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING...BUT HAVE NOT INCLUDED IN FORECAST FOR NOW. WINDS WILL PICK UP FROM THE SW LATER FRIDAY...BUT ADJUSTED DOWN FROM GUIDANCE. AN SCA IS POSSIBLE FOR THE INTRACOASTAL ZONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS STABILITY FACTORS WILL NOT BE AS SIGNIFICANT. SHORT TERM: SCA HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED DUE TO AN INCREASING SWELL AS SHOWN BY THE LATEST WAVE GUIDANCE. STAYED CLOSE TO THE MIDNIGHT CREW'S ASSESSMENT OF SEAS BUILDING TO 5-6 FT LATER FRIDAY NIGHT CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. A BRIEF SURGE OF WINDS TO 20 KTS POSSIBLE FRIDAY EVENING. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...CB/MCW SHORT TERM...HEWITT LONG TERM...NORTON AVIATION...CB/MCW/HEWITT MARINE...CB/MCW/HEWITT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 421 PM EDT THU JUL 18 2013 MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-192030- 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- 421 PM EDT THU JUL 18 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...NORTH CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE...SOUTHEAST MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL MAINE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY EVENING. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58 MPH AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME STORMS TO HAVE ROTATION. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO EXPECTED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. THE AREAS TO SEE THE HIGHEST THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MAINE AND POSSIBLY INTERIOR DOWNEAST MAINE. ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE HIGHEST THREAT ACROSS CENTRAL AND DOWNEAST MAINE. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ANZ050>052-192030- 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- 421 PM EDT THU JUL 18 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HEWITT
The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 147 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:43 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and utility poles were toppled by wind gusts estimated at 65 mph. Some trees fell on cars. The time is estimated.
Numerous trees and utility poles were toppled by wind gusts estimated at 65 mph. Some trees fell on cars. The time is estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maine in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, July 2013
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: 467630, 467632.