The Highest Wind Gusts Recorded in Maine During Winter Storm Hernando

No matter where you are on the East Coast, you felt the effects of Winter Storm Hernando.

In many places, it was through massive amounts of snow.  Some places, like Providence, set new snowfall records.

In other places, like much of Maine, there was little snow, but we got hit by lengthy periods of high winds.  These winds blew around the fluffy snow that had fallen, lowering visibility and making driving difficult.  In some communities, the excessive winds knocked down power lines causing widespread outages.

We had been told that the storm would likely bring high winds, and really high gusts, to Maine, but where were the highest wind gusts recorded?

Thanks to WMTW, we know.  Check out the list of the highest wind gusts recorded in Maine during Winter Storm Hernando.

What Is A Blizzard?

In Maine, a blizzard isn’t just a lot of snow.   It’s a specific weather event where strong winds of at least 35 miles per hour blow snow around so much that visibility drops to near zero for hours at a time.  The National Weather Service says it has to last at least three hours to count.  So it’s not about how many inches fall, it’s about how hard the wind works to turn that snow into a whiteout. In other words, it’s snow with an attitude.