Winter Storm and Extreme Cold in Maine, January 14 to 15, 2022

Name: Winter Storm and Extreme Cold in Maine, January 14 to 15, 2022
Start: 2022-01-14T17:00
End: 2022-01-15T12:00
Location: Maine

January 14 to 15, 2022 · NWS CAR · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

from the 14th into the 15th. Snow developed during the afternoon of 14th and persisted into the early morning hours of the 15th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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: 10

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 CAR wrote it up.

Intense low pressure tracked east of the Gulf of Maine...toward Nova Scotia...from the 14th into the 15th. Snow developed during the afternoon of 14th and persisted into the early morning hours of the 15th. The western edge of the precipitation shield clipped central and coastal portions of Washington county producing generally 2 to 3 inches of snow. However...the snow was accompanied by strong winds. Winds were sustained at 25 to 35 mph...with gusts of 45 to 55 mph. This produced extensive blowing and drifting snow with reduced visibilities along with hazardous travel. Snow totals rapidly diminished west of Washington county. However...strong gusty winds also occurred across portions of Hancock county. Sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph...with gusts of 50 to 60 mph...occurred across coastal portions of Hancock county. Wind gusts around 60 mph were reported at both East Surry and Bar Harbor. Only minor snow accumulations occurred across Hancock county.|Arctic air was drawn across the region in the wake of the low...along with gusty winds. Dangerous wind chills occurred across northern Maine from later on the 14th into the 15th. Temperatures fell to 10 to 20 below zero. Winds were sustained at 20 to 30 mph...with gusts in excess of 40 mph. The winds and temperatures combined to produce wind chill readings of 40 to 50 below zero.

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 Caribou, ME wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 13, 5:13 PM EST, 23 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 13, 5:13 PM EST, 23 hours 47 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 13, 5:20 PM EST, 23 hours 40 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

7 extreme cold/wind chill, 2 winter storm, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Central Washington

When: January 14, 5:00 PM EST to January 15, 12:30 AM EST
Where: Central Washington forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.970, -67.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 2 to 3 inches. However...winds were sustained at 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 45 to 55 mph. The winds and snow combined to produce near blizzard conditions at times. Wind chills also dropped to around 30 below zero.

Winter Storm, Coastal Washington

When: January 14, 5:00 PM EST to January 15, 12:30 AM EST
Where: Coastal Washington forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.970, -67.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Coastal Hancock

When: January 14, 5:00 PM EST to January 15, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Coastal Hancock forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 44.563, -68.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind gusts were measured at up to around 60 mph.