Low pressure approached from the west during the 12th. then rapidly intensified while moving east across the maritimes during the 13th.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Low pressure approached from the west during the 12th. A secondary low developed across the Gulf of Maine that night...then rapidly intensified while moving east across the maritimes during the 13th. Snow developed late on the 12th and persisted into the 13th. Snow rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour occurred in the heavier snow bands. The snow diminished...from south to north...through the morning into the afternoon of the 13th. Warning criteria snow accumulations occurred through the morning hours of the 13th. The greatest storm total snow accumulations...12 to 18 inches with locally up to 20 inches...occurred in an area from southeast Aroostook county to northern Piscataquis county. Snow accumulations across the remainder of northern Maine generally ranged from 5 to 10 inches. Accumulations of 7 to 11 inches occurred in an area from southern Piscataquis county to northern and central Washington county. Gusty winds in the wake of the storm produced areas of blowing and drifting snow during the 13th.
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 Jan 12, 9:51 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
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</html>HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 257 AM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 MEZ010-011-015>017-029>032-130800- CENTRAL PISCATAQUIS-CENTRAL PENOBSCOT-SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT- INTERIOR HANCOCK-CENTRAL WASHINGTON-COASTAL HANCOCK- COASTAL WASHINGTON-SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN WASHINGTON- 257 AM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR COASTAL DOWNEAST MAINE...EAST CENTRAL MAINE...EASTERN MAINE...INTERIOR DOWNEAST MAINE AND NORTH CENTRAL MAINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MEZ001>006-130800- NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK-NORTHEAST AROOSTOOK-NORTHERN SOMERSET- NORTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN PENOBSCOT-SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK- 257 AM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...FAR NORTHERN MAINE...NORTH CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL MAINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ANZ050>052-130800- COASTAL WATERS FROM EASTPORT, ME TO SCHOODIC POINT, ME OUT 25 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT, ME TO STONINGTON, ME OUT 25 NM- INTRA COASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT, ME TO STONINGTON, ME- 257 AM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 ...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. GALE WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 3 to 10 inches...with the heaviest accumulations across northern areas.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 10 to 14 inches.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 7 to 11 inches.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 8 to 12 inches.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 8 to 12 inches.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 8 to 12 inches.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 10 to 14 inches.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 6 to 10 inches.
Storm total snow accumulations generally ranged from 10 to 15 inches...with localized accumulations up to 20 inches.
Storm total snow accumulations generally ranged from 10 to 15 inches...with localized accumulations up to 20 inches.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 6 to 12 inches...with the heaviest accumulations across western areas.
Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 5 to 11 inches...with the heaviest accumulations across southern areas.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maine in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, January 2016
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 615615, 615617, 615618, 615619, 615620, 615622, 615623, 615624, 615629, 615630, 615631, 615632.