New Hampshire, 2022

Wildfire in New Hampshire, May 14 to 20, 2022

May 14 to 20, 2022 · NWS GYX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The month of May was warmer and drier than normal in Central and Northern New Hampshire. The primary feature that dominated the weather pattern was an anomalous ridge of high pressure that started to develop during the second week of the month and remained centered over Northern New England through the end of the month.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

The month of May was warmer and drier than normal in Central and Northern New Hampshire. The primary feature that dominated the weather pattern was an anomalous ridge of high pressure that started to develop during the second week of the month and remained centered over Northern New England through the end of the month. Before this ridge established itself, temperatures averaged below normal through the first eleven days. Very warm conditions developed towards the end of the second week of the month when Concord eclipsed the 90 degree mark for the first time of the year when the high temperature reached 91 degrees on the 14th. This warmth was tempered some after a couple of frontal systems crossed the area bringing thunderstorms on the 15th and 16th. The Bemis wildfire started on the 14th during this very warm and dry period and quickly spread due to dry surface fuels.

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 May 14, 10:00 AM EST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 14, 10:00 AM EST, 4 hours 30 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 14, 3:09 AM EST, 11 hours 21 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

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Northern Carroll

When
May 14, 2:30 PM EST to May 20, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
43.874, -71.203 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

After a very dry week with near record high temperatures on May 14th, a fire start was reported in Crawford Notch State Park. The fire rapidly spread due to the dry fuels, slope alignment and favorable fire weather conditions. Fire weather conditions quickly began to moderate by the evening of May 14th with rain falling on the fire. The favorable conditions allowed fire fighters to get ahead of the fire with increased containment everyday. Overall 107 acres were burned before full containment with mostly understory fuels burning.

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Hampshire in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in New Hampshire, May 2022

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: 1032387.