Maine, 2019

Heavy Snow in Maine, December 1 to 3, 2019

December 1 to 3, 2019 · NWS GYX · 12 events in 11 counties and zones

S. with multi-center surface lows pinwheeling around it.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GYX wrote it up.

A closed upper low progressed across the northern half of the U.S. with multi-center surface lows pinwheeling around it. One surface low approached New England on the evening of December 1st. A band of heavy snow moved into extreme southwestern Maine before stalling and weakening early on the 2nd. Snow with occasional mixed precipitation continued off and on through the 2nd across extreme southwestern Maine with surface low pressure stalled near the 40N/70W benchmark. On the 3rd a strong shortwave trough approached from the northwest and surface low pressure once again deepened and retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. This led to the development of several bands of heavy snow on the 3rd that rotated westward across western Maine through the day. Eventually these weakened and moved east, bringing snow to an end.

What forecasters said that day

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 Dec 1, 2:53 PM EST, 4 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 1, 2:53 PM EST, 4 hours 7 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 1, 7:00 PM EST, 0 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 1, 5:17 PM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 1, 5:27 PM EST, 1 hour 33 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 1, 6:17 PM EST, 43 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Coastal York

When
December 1, 7:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Coastal York forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the evening of December 1st a band of heavy snowfall lifted out of Massachusetts into extreme southwest Maine. Snowfall rates were observed to be in excess of 1 inch per hour in the late evening before snow began to taper. Snow came in waves through the day on December 2nd, adding additional snowfall that was aided by moist easterly flow. Finally as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine one final band of heavy snow developed overhead before weakening. Snowfall totals ranged from 6 to 12 inches by the morning of the 2nd, with storm total snowfall on the afternoon of the 3rd ranging from 12 to 18 inches.

Heavy Snow, Interior York

When
December 1, 8:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Interior York forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the evening of December 1st a band of heavy snowfall lifted out of Massachusetts into extreme southwest Maine. The band stalled before getting very far into York County. Snowfall totals overnight were highest south of Route 202. Snow showers an occasional mixed precipitation continued through the day on December 2nd. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates during the mid morning hours exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Storm total snowfall generally ranged from 5 to 16 inches.

Heavy Snow, Coastal Cumberland

When
December 2, 7:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Coastal Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the evening of December 1st the heavy snow band failed to reach Cumberland County. Relatively little accumulation occurred through December 2nd, with occasional snow showers or mixed precipitation. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates during the mid morning hours exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Storm total snowfall generally ranged from 7 to 12 inches.

Heavy Snow, Sagadahoc

When
December 2, 7:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Sagadahoc forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.912, -69.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the evening of December 1st the heavy snow band failed to reach Sagadahoc County. Relatively little accumulation occurred through December 2nd, with occasional snow showers or mixed precipitation. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates during the mid morning hours exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Storm total snowfall generally ranged from 7 to 9 inches.

Heavy Snow, Lincoln

When
December 2, 7:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.998, -69.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Little snowfall occurred December 1st through December 2nd, with occasional snow showers or mixed precipitation on easterly flow. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates during the mid morning hours exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Storm total snowfall generally ranged from 7 to 9 inches.

Heavy Snow, Knox

When
December 2, 7:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.076, -69.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Little snowfall occurred December 1st through December 2nd, with precipitation remaining too far south. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates in the heavy bands exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Around midday the dry slot moved into parts of the Midcoast and snow lightened up and mixed with sleet or freezing rain at times. This kept storm total snowfall on the lower side, generally ranging from 4 to 7 inches.

Heavy Snow, Knox

When
December 2, 7:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.076, -69.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Little snowfall occurred December 1st through December 2nd, with precipitation remaining too far south. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates in the heavy bands exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Around midday the dry slot moved into parts of the Midcoast and snow lightened up and mixed with sleet or freezing rain at times. This kept storm total snowfall on the lower side, generally ranging from 4 to 8 inches.

Heavy Snow, Interior Cumberland

When
December 2, 8:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Interior Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the evening of December 1st the heavy snow band failed to reach Cumberland County. Relatively little accumulation occurred through December 2nd, with occasional snow showers or mixed precipitation. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates during the mid morning hours exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Storm total snowfall generally ranged from 5 to 8 inches.

Heavy Snow, Androscoggin

When
December 2, 8:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Androscoggin forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.166, -70.206 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Little snowfall occurred December 1st through December 2nd, with precipitation remaining too far south. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates during the mid morning hours exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Storm total snowfall generally ranged from 6 to 8 inches.

Heavy Snow, Kennebec

When
December 2, 8:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Kennebec forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.409, -69.767 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Little snowfall occurred December 1st through December 2nd, with precipitation remaining too far south. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates during the mid morning hours exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Storm total snowfall generally ranged from 5 to 9 inches.

Heavy Snow, Interior Waldo

When
December 2, 8:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Interior Waldo forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.485, -69.122 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Little snowfall occurred December 1st through December 2nd, with precipitation remaining too far south. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates in the heavy bands exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Around midday the dry slot moved into parts of the Midcoast and snow lightened up and mixed with sleet or freezing rain at times. This kept storm total snowfall on the lower side, generally ranging from 4 to 7 inches.

Heavy Snow, Southern Somerset

When
December 2, 8:00 PM EST to December 3, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Somerset forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.514, -69.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Little snowfall occurred December 1st through December 2nd, with precipitation remaining too far south. The majority of the accumulation came on the 3rd as surface low pressure retrograded into the Gulf of Maine. Several bands of heavy snow developed and rotated westward over western Maine before weakening. Snowfall rates during the mid morning hours exceeded 1 inch per hour at times. Storm total snowfall generally ranged from 5 to 9 inches.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maine in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, December 2019

Sources

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: 860553, 860554, 860555, 860557, 860558, 860559, 860560, 860556, 860561, 860562, 860563, 860564.