Severe drought expanded across much of the remainder of northern Maine during mid August. The severe drought also expanded across the remainder of Piscataquis county and all of Washington county.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
Severe drought expanded across much of the remainder of northern Maine during mid August. The severe drought also expanded across the remainder of Piscataquis county and all of Washington county. Severe drought then persisted in all of these areas through the remainder of the month. These areas had been in moderate drought at the start of August. Above average temperatures occurred during August. Rainfall was mostly due to showers and thunderstorms which resulted in variable rain totals. Most areas received 40 to 70 percent of normal rainfall for August...though some localized areas did receive greater rain totals with thunderstorms. Widespread rain did not occur during August. The accumulated effect of warm and dry conditions for the 4 month period from May to August led to the expansion of the severe drought. Streamflows during August were generally 15 to 35 percent of normal. At month's end many larger rivers were at near record low levels. Across southern Washington county...some wells were starting to run dry at month's end. Grain crops were significantly impacted during August. Potatoes and other crops required extensive irrigation.
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 17, 8:30 PM EST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Caribou ME 930 PM EDT Mon Aug 17 2020 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will approach late tonight, then cross the region Tuesday. High pressure will cross the region Wednesday through Thursday. A warm front will cross the region Friday into Saturday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... 940 PM Update: Latest radar ref imagery stills show msly lgt shwrs left ovr the NW from instability from prior aftn htg, and these may or may not completely dissipate before the main rn shield crosses into NW ME from Ern QB late tngt. Otherwise, latest avbl mid eve sfc obs were used to make adjustments to fcst hrly values of temp/dwpts into the late ngt with, again, no chgs to fcst ovrngt lows attm. Prev Disc: Could still have isolated/scattered showers across northern areas early tonight. A cold front will then approach northwest Maine later tonight, along with an upper level trof. Rain chances will increase later tonight, particularly across western portions of the forecast area. The cold front and upper trof then cross the region Tuesday. Rain will expand across the remainder of the forecast area Tuesday morning. The rain will then transition to showers and thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon. Uncertainty still exists regarding rain totals later tonight through Tuesday. Low temperatures tonight will range from the mid to upper 50s across the forecast area. High temperatures Tuesday will range from the upper 60s north, to around 70 to the lower 70s Downeast. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... A few showers will linger across the north Tues night as low pressure over south-central Quebec becomes vertically stacked. Overnight lows will be a couple degrees cooler than Mon night as CAA arrives. Coolest temps are anticipated across the North Woods, dipping into the upper 40s. Temps may also dip into the lower 50s across central and Downeast areas as clouds retreat quicker here. As mentioned by the overnight crew, not an ideal radiational cooling night w/ gradient winds expected to mitigate cooling rates. Wednesday and Thursday will see winds becoming breezy as low level flow rounds the base of this low w/ large NW fetch off west CONUS ridge. Barring a few isolated showers across the Crown of Maine Wednesday, the remainder of the short term dries out with reduced dew points. Combined with the winds and drying fine fuels, this sets up potential for increased fire danger Thursday. More of this discussed below. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... Zonal flow is expected to be the main pattern aloft through the weekend. Surface high pressure will remain to the south across the Tennessee Valley and Mid-Atlantic, keeping deeper moisture at bay. The next chance at more than scattered diurnal showers will be over the weekend as low pressure tracks north of the Great Lakes and towards New England. Still some substantial differences in guidance how this scenario weathers. The GFS and Canadian both develop similar systems with a warm front briefly lifting through northern New England ahead of the main low/cold front as the center tracks near the Crown of Maine. This appears to be a possible solution, until one looks at the temporal difference of a full 24 hours (GFS centered north of Maine 12z Sat, Canadian 12z Sun). EPS sides closer to the GFS in regards to timing, but has similarities in QPF extent to the Canadian. Mid and upper level trough will be located across the Ohio Valley, with SW flow across the Mid-Atlantic to feed moisture into the Northeast. Amplitude may not be enough to reach northern and eastern Maine, so will carry shower PoPs Sat and Sun. A few thunderstorms will be possible Sat afternoon if the CWA is in the warm sector w/ pre-frontal forcing. Overall the system is flat, so lift directly overhead may be lacking. Once the main area of low pressure does push through, a boundary will remain draped across the Northeast with cooler temperatures to begin next week. && .AVIATION /22Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... NEAR TERM: Isolated to scatterd showers are possible across northern areas early tonight. Otherwise, expect VFR conditions across the region early tonight. Conditions then lower to MVFR/IFR levels later tonight with developing rain. Expect MVFR/IFR, occasional LIFR, conditions across the region Tuesday. Rain Tuesday morning will transition to showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. SHORT TERM: Tue night: Conditions will improve to VFR, but patchy MVFR is possible at the Aroostook County terminals until midnight. Wed: VFR, with a gusty west wind with wind gusts to 20 to 25 knots, especially from KPQI north to KFVE. Wed night: VFR. Patchy late night valley fog is possible, mainly at KHUL and KPQI, but confidence is low. Thurs: VFR, with a gusty west wind and wind gusts 20 to 25 kt across northern terminals late morning and afternoon. Thurs night - Fri: VFR, light W winds. Fri - Sat: VFR with some MVFR possible in showers across the north Friday afternoon through Sat afternoon. Breezy WSW winds. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: Winds/seas will remain below small craft advisory levels tonight through Tuesday, though seas could approach 5 feet at times tonight. Visibilities will be reduced in rain later tonight into Tuesday. SHORT TERM: Winds and waves will remain below SCA criteria through the short term. Wave heights will slowly decrease to 2 to 3 ft as low pressure to the south drifts into the open Atlantic. SW winds shift WNW Wednesday night into Thursday, with gusts around 20 kt Thurs afternoon on the coastal waters. && .FIRE WEATHER... Elevated fire risk Wed/Thurs will be contingent on precip received Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be breezy and dry, with Wed acting as a good drying day ahead of possible widespread daytime RH values in the 30-35% range Thursday. These values may also reach the coast as the prevailing wind direction will minimize inland marine layer propagation. Winds will be highest/most consistent during the afternoons due to mixing, with sustained WNW winds 10-15 mph and gusts to 25 mph. Winds become lighter overnight. Stronger upper level winds will move out of the region into Friday, with precip chances increasing into the weekend. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. MARINE...None. && Near Term...VJN Short Term...Cornwell Long Term...Cornwell Aviation...VJN/Cornwell Marine...VJN/Cornwell Fire Weather...Cornwell
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Caribou ME 325 AM EDT Mon Aug 17 2020 MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-180730- 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- 325 AM EDT Mon Aug 17 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Central Highlands Maine, Coastal DownEast Maine, Far Eastern Maine, Far Northern Maine, Interior DownEast Maine, North Woods Maine and Penobscot Valley Maine. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. ANZ050>052-180730- 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- 325 AM EDT Mon Aug 17 2020 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...Tuesday through Sunday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. CB/TF
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought developed mid August then persisted through the remainder of the month.
Severe drought developed mid August then persisted through the remainder of the month.
Severe drought developed mid August then persisted through the remainder of the month.
Severe drought developed mid August then persisted through the remainder of the month.
Severe drought developed mid August then persisted through the remainder of the month.
Severe drought developed mid August then persisted through the remainder of the month.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maine in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, August 2020
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: 914279, 914280, 914281, 914282, 914283, 914284.