An upper level low crossed the region during the 5th. Instability due to diurnal heating and the cold pool aloft supported the development of thunderstorms during the afternoon.
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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.
An upper level low crossed the region during the 5th. Instability due to diurnal heating and the cold pool aloft supported the development of thunderstorms during the afternoon. Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms occurred across portions of Downeast Maine with hail and damaging winds.
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 Jul 5, 10:42 AM EST, 3 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Caribou ME 1142 AM EDT Wed Jul 5 2023 .SYNOPSIS... Upper level low pressure will slide to the east today. High pressure will build in from the west tonight...crest over the area Thursday then slide to the east on Friday as a cold front approaches. The cold front will cross the area Friday evening followed by weak high pressure over the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... 1145 AM update...Added enhanced wording for small hail and gusty winds in Hancock and Washington counties later this afternoon. The enhanced wording also extended into far southeastern portions of Penobscot County. The 12Z CAR RAOB shows up to 1700 J/KG while PW is still at nearly 1.5 inches...above the 90th percentile. Therefore, even though drier air is arriving from the west, still opted to mention heavy rain with any thunderstorms in eastern Maine today. The potential for a supercell or two Downeast is more concerning. Shear is expected to increase later this afternoon into early evening while SBCAPE is maximized in that area. CAMS has been hinting at the potential since last night's 00Z runs and 12Z guidance continues to show the threat. The shear will help increase the hail threat. Thinking about advertising more than small hail. The sea breeze this evening will create another interesting dynamic as guidance is showing higher 0-1km shear and SRH values just north of the boundary. Refined the fog forecast for tonight as the very humid air mass remains in place. For Thursday, two concerns emerge. First and foremost is the heat with grids now showing heat indices reaching advisory criteria in parts of Piscataquis and Penobscot County. Second, isolated thunderstorms are possible given the strong surface heating. These storms would be most likely in the North Woods and northern Aroostook County. Previous discussion... The weak upper low which was across the area early this week will slide off the east today as high pressure, both surface and aloft, begin to build in from the west. This will bring a partly sunny day with a bit more sunshine to the west nearer the high and a bit less sunshine to the east. Some isolated thunderstorms will be possible today, mainly during the midday across the east where a bit of cooler air will still be pooled aloft associated with the departing upper low. Soundings are showing capes up to 1000 J/KG today but the atmosphere lacks significant mechanisms to initiate convection. The sunshine will result in a very warm and humid day today with highs in the mid to upper 80s and cooler Downeast. Dew points will be in the upper 60s to near 70. High pressure beginning to crest over the area will bring a mostly clear and tranquil night tonight. Some patchy fog may form in valley areas and near the coast late tonight. Lows will be in the low to mid 60s. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... lifting of fog and break up of ST cld cvr Thu Erly Morn will allow for a rapid rise in temps Late Morn into Aftn as the upper ridge axis maximizes ovr all of New Eng and the Gaspe Peninsula area. If the Rgn remains relatively smoke free from QB, model guidance conts to suggest hi temps could apch 90 deg F ovr low trrn lctns well inland by mid to late aftn (sig cooler alg the Downeast coast, which will experience a sea breeze) with stronger subsidence alf msly preventing Aftn/Eve shwr/tstm activity this day. With sfc dwpts arnd 70 ovr ptns of the lower and mid Penobscot vly area, heat indices there could reach lower to mid 90s, but not quite high enough for any heat advs attm. Thu Ngt will be fair, warm, and humid with patchy to areas of late ngt fog msly lmtd to Downeast areas with sig abv avg ovrngt lows temps. By Fri, the upper ridge ovr the FA will be sliding E across the Can Maritimes as a cold front associated with a broad upper trof begins to apch from Cntrl Can. This system will bring the next chc of shwrs and tstms to msly NW ptns of the FA where PoPs reach the likely range and there's a mention of hvy rnfl and gusty wind enhanced tstm elements, spcly Mid Fri Aftn into the Eve hrs with PoPs and shwr/tstm intensity dropping off across Cntrl and Downeast areas. Otherwise, another day of very warm and very humid conditions under ptly to msly cldy skies. Shwrs and tstms should msly dissipate late Fri Ngt as whats left of the cold front enters the FA from the NW. With little in the way of wind, patchy and areas of fog can be xpctd late Fri Ngt along with another ngt of warm ovrngt lows. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... Whats left of the cold front slowly slides msly SE of the FA Sat into Sat Eve as the upper trof moves E just N of the FA. This will likely mean additional Aftn/Erly Eve shwrs/possible tstms for most of the FA on Sat. Additional mainly aftn shwrs/tstms can be xpctd Sun and Mon with follow-up s/wv trofs from the Great lks area as NAO remains negative. Longer range models are now hinting on the possibility of a more coastal low movg NE from the Mid Atlc states coast toward the FA on Tue, when potentially more stratiform rnfl could impact the FA. Otherwise, temps will cont abv avg with humid conditions Sat and Sun, but not as warm as Thu and Fri, then cool a little more Mon and Tue, possibly even more on Tue then we currently indicate. && .AVIATION /16Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... NEAR TERM: Some patchy fog may be around early this morning and again late tonight. Otherwise, VFR conditions are expected today and tonight with the localized exception in any isolated thunderstorms midday or afternoon today. Winds will be very light N today and light and variable tonight. SHORT TO LONG TERM: Thu - Sun: Nrn TAF sites low VFR/VFR clgs Midday thru Eve each day and patchy MVFR/IFR clgs in ST cld cvr and fog Late Ngt into Erly Morn each day. Clgs/Vsbys briefly MVFR in the Aftn/Erly Eve in sct shwrs/tstms Wed, Fri, and Sat. Downeast Sites: MVFR/low VFR clgs Midday thru Eve each day and LIFR clgs in ST cld cvr and areas fog Ovrngt til Mid Morn each day. Clgs/Vsbys briefly MVFR in the Aftn/Erly Eve in sct shwrs/tstms Wed, Fri, and Sat msly at KBGR. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: Winds will be very light and seas 2 to 3 ft today and tonight. Humid air will continue to result in mist and area of dense fog over the waters. SHORT TO LONG TERM: No hdlns xpctd throughout, with winds and seas remaining well below minimal SCA thresholds. Marine fog, dense at tms, will cont to be an issue thru Mon Morn as warm and very humid air remains in contact with cold Gulf of ME waters. Went with blended wv model guidance with more emphasis on NBM and NWPS which does better this tm of year than WNA guidance. Wvs will be composed of a shorter 4 to 6 sec group advcng SSW to NNE and a longer, more swell like 8 to 10 sec group advcg SE to NW. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. MARINE...None. && Near Term...Bloomer/MCW Short Term...VJN Long Term...VJN Aviation...Bloomer/MCW/VJN Marine...Bloomer/MCW/VJN
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Caribou ME 223 AM EDT Wed Jul 5 2023 MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-061000- 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- 223 AM EDT Wed Jul 5 2023 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. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Showers and thunderstorms with heavy rain and possible gusty winds are possible late Friday afternoon into Friday evening especially northwest portions of the region. Other showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall may also occur over portions of the region every afternoon and evening from Saturday through Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. ANZ050>052-061000- 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- 223 AM EDT Wed Jul 5 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Atlantic Coastal Waters. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Areas of fog, locally dense, will persist over the waters. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Areas of fog, locally dense, will persist over the waters through early next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. VJN
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Caribou ME
242 PM EDT Wed Jul 5 2023
MEZ029-030-051915-
Coastal Hancock ME-Coastal Washington ME-
242 PM EDT Wed Jul 5 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern
Washington and southeastern Hancock Counties through 315 PM EDT...
At 242 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Cherryfield, moving south at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Cherryfield, Steuben, Deblois, Millbridge and Sullivan.
This includes US Highway 1 between MIllbridge and Cherryfield.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 4466 6812 4468 6804 4467 6802 4469 6798
4469 6793 4453 6787 4452 6815
TIME...MOT...LOC 1842Z 356DEG 11KT 4461 6805
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
SinkoThe Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 163 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:46 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Two people were struck by lightning and transported to the hospital. The extent of the injuries is uncertain. The time is estimated.
Several trees were toppled by wind gusts estimated at up to 60 mph. A large tree was toppled on to wires blocking the Cooper Road.
Three trees blown down near Cooper, Maine.
Several trees were toppled by wind gusts estimated at up to 60 mph in Marion Township. The time is estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maine in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, July 2023
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: 1120489, 1120482, 1169897, 1120486, 1120488.