Maine, 2026

Damaging Winds in Maine, June 18, 2026

June 18, 2026 · NWS CAR · 5 events in 1 county or zone

Low pressure tracking across Quebec province drew an occluding front across the region through the afternoon and evening of the 18th. A strong low level jet crossed Downeast portions of the region in advance of the front.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

Low pressure tracking across Quebec province drew an occluding front across the region through the afternoon and evening of the 18th. A strong low level jet crossed Downeast portions of the region in advance of the front. Convective showers and isolated thunderstorms along the front broke the inversion allowing the stronger winds aloft to mix down to the surface. Wind gusts estimated at up to 60 mph occurred. Numerous trees were downed along the convective line of showers and isolated thunderstorms across southern Penobscot county including the Bangor region. Saturated ground from earlier heavy rains allowed trees to be more easily toppled.|Trees and branches falling on power lines led to scattered power outages. Gusty winds and saturated ground also allowed some trees to be toppled in advance of the convective line which also contributed to power outages.

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 Jun 18, 12:52 PM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • 1) Widespread moderate to heavy rain into tonight, with localized flooding possible. Gusty winds are also expected, especially within any strong showers and storms. 2) Showers Friday into the weekend along with a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms Sunday.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 18, 12:52 PM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Caribou ME
152 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
- Increased rainfall totals across the Central Highlands with
  increasing convection likely over next few hours.

- Increased wind gusts this afternoon ahead of the occluded
  front.

- Increased seas into Friday above SCA criteria over the Coastal
  Waters.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Widespread moderate to heavy rain into tonight, with
localized flooding possible. Gusty winds are also expected,
especially within any strong showers and storms.

2) Showers Friday into the weekend along with a
slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms Sunday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...Widespread moderate to heavy rain into tonight,
with localized flooding possible. Gusty winds are also
expected, especially within any strong showers and storms.

KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION...
A compact strong low pressure system in Southern Quebec is
kicking off rain across much of the area this afternoon.
Elevated instability and higher PWATs are working into GYX CWA
heading for portions of CAR CWA this afternoon. The key message
remains on track for the potential of excessive rainfall. The
greatest concern for isolated localized flash flooding will be
across the Central Highlands.

The moisture for this system will be well supported,
with model agreement that PWATs will approach 1.1 to 1.2 inches
in the north and 1.3 to 1.4 inches Downeast through most of the
event. For the northern half of the CWA, 1.2 inches is around
the 90th percentile for KCAR PWAT climatology, which is 1.25
inches. For Downeast, 1.4 is around the 90th percentile for KGYX
PWAT climatology, which is 1.44 inches. Exceedance of the
climatological 90th percentile for PWATs is one factor to
consider for the potential for efficient, heavy rainfall, and
for this ingredient the forecast is considered marginal.

Long, skinny CAPE profiles are another ingredient that would
favor flooding rain potential. That said, across the Downeast
region, the marine layer presents a deep low level inversion
that inhibits CAPE development, and there is little instability
at all to work with. (There is, however, no shortage of shear,
with 0-6 km bulk shear approaching 60 kts)

The 50 kt LLJ will likely mix some momentum to the surface
within moderate to heavy rainfall, leading to gusty winds which
could occasionally reach 30 to 35 mph in strength, especially
across higher terrain.

KEY MESSAGE 2...Showers Friday into the weekend along with a
slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms Sunday.

KEY MESSAGE 2 DESCRIPTION...
An upper level low will slowly cross the region Friday into the
weekend while a series of disturbances move around the low. Cold
air aloft will help increase diurnal instability. Unsettled
conditions with a chance of showers will occur Friday through the
weekend, with a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms on
Sunday. The better shower/thunderstorm chances should occur
across northern areas. Another system approaches Monday night.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
Today - Tonight...VFR conditions will decrease towards MVFR/IFR
through as rain showers increase and cigs decrease. Gusty SE
winds 10 to 15 kts with gusts 25 to 35 kts through this
afternoon. Winds begin to decrease tonight, though 45 to 50 kts
LLWS may enter in late as an inversion develops.

Friday...KBGR/KBHB and Downeast terminals improve to VFR through
the day, while northern terminal cigs remain MVFR/IFR with
lingering rain showers. SW winds slowly shifting W at 10 to 15
kts with gusts 20 to 25 kts.

Friday night...VFR/MVFR. Showers likely north. Southwest/west
winds 10 to 15 knots.

Saturday...VFR/MVFR with a chance of showers. West/southwest winds
10 to 15 knots with gusts up to around 20 knots, becoming
west/northwest.

Saturday night...VFR/MVFR. A slight chance of showers,
mostly north. Some patchy fog is possible. Northwest winds 10
to 15 knots, becoming north/northwest 5 to 10 knots.

Sunday...VFR/MVFR with a chance of showers. Slight chance of an
afternoon thunderstorm. West/northwest winds 5 to 10 knots,
becoming variable.

Sunday night...VFR. Winds light and variable.

Monday...MVFR/IFR in heavier showers, with a chance of
thunderstorms. South winds 5-10 knots, becoming northeast 5-10
knots.

&&

.MARINE...
A Gale Warning is in effect until 10PM for all the Waters
25nm-60nm. SE winds 20-30kt with gusts up to 40kt and seas
6-9ft. A Gale Warning in effect for the Coastal Waters from
Schoodic Point to Stonington out 25nm. SE winds 15-25kt with
gusts up to 35kt and seas 6-9ft. A Small Craft Advisory for the
Intra-Coastal Waters and the Coastal Waters from Schoodic Point
to Eastport/Hague Line out 25nm. South winds 15-25kt with gusts
up to 30kt, seas 6-9ft for Coastal Waters and 3-5ft for Intra-
Coastal Waters. Winds relax to 25kt or less on the Coastal
Waters Friday AM and Friday Eve on the outer waters. Seas remain
in SCA criteria on Friday on the Coastal Waters with winds/waves
below SCA on Intra-Coastal Waters on Friday. 4-5ft seas on
Coastal Waters on Saturday and winds/seas below SCA on Sun-Mon.

&&

.CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ME...None.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM EDT Friday for ANZ050-052.
     Gale Warning until 10 PM EDT this evening for ANZ051-080-081.

&&

DISCUSSION...AES/JS/JMM
AVIATION...JS

The radar

The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 132 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:06 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Penobscot

When
June 18, 5:07 PM EST
Where
Penobscot County, 1.47 mi NNW of Newport
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
44.850, -69.280

A tree was toppled on to a camper by wind gusts estimated at up to 60 mph. The time is estimated.

Thunderstorm Wind, Penobscot

When
June 18, 5:08 PM EST
Where
Penobscot County, 0.85 mi NE of South Newburgh
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
44.690, -69.010

A tree was toppled on to power lines...blocking the road...by wind gusts estimated at up to 60 mph. The time is estimated.

Thunderstorm Wind, Penobscot

When
June 18, 5:10 PM EST
Where
Penobscot County, 0.85 mi NW of Stetson
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
44.890, -69.140

Several trees were toppled on to power lines around Stetson by wind gusts estimated at up to 60 mph. The time is estimated.

Thunderstorm Wind, Penobscot

When
June 18, 5:11 PM EST
Where
Penobscot County, 2 mi SE of Eddington
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.809, -68.651

A tree was toppled on to Route 9...blocking the road...by wind gusts estimated at up to 60 mph. The time is estimated.

Thunderstorm Wind, Penobscot

When
June 18, 5:14 PM EST
Where
Penobscot County, 0.85 mi SW of Dufour Lndg
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
44.890, -68.790

A tree was toppled on to power lines by wind gusts estimated at up to 60 mph. The time is estimated.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maine in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, June 2026

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1347408, 1347411, 1347413, 1347414, 1347416.