Eight Days of December Storms, Chill and Christmas Spirit

By Bob Trapani Jr. December 15, 2010

During a span of eight days from December 6^th to the 14^th, there was plenty of cold and stormy weather to contend with, but thankfully, there was also ample Christmas cheer to ward off any images that threatened to dampen one’s spirits for too long. 

Midcoast Maine received its first snowfall of the season on December 6^th and what a sight it was in a charming seaside town like Camden, Maine. The snow added a magical Christmas touch to the festively decorated storefronts downtown, while Camden Harbor, though mostly dormant at this time of year, conveyed a sense of serenity as the snow fell about the waterfront. 

For a two day stretch on the 8^th and 9^th, the temperatures plunged to single digits at night, with wind chills falling below zero. The frigid air felt more like late January than early December, which helped to preserve most of the three inches of snow the Midcoast received a few days earlier. 

By December 12^th, things took a dramatic turn upwards temperature-wise, but there would be no sun to bask in as temps reached into the mid-50s. Instead, the National Weather Service issued a storm warning for the Midcoast starting at 3:00 pm on that afternoon. 

The southeast storm would deliver its most powerful punch under the cover of darkness as winds gusting as high as 55-knots buffeted the coast and up to four inches of rain, along with melting snow, caused the National Weather Service to issue a flood watch. 

At first light on the morning of the 13^th, the storm was already moving off the coast, but in its wake, it dealt snow buffs a cruel blow as every last bit of the white stuff was washed away by the heavy rainfall and unseasonably warm temperatures. 

Suddenly, Midcoast Maine was without a blanket of white about its landscape to accent the approaching Christmas holiday, but such a loss could not douse the merry spirit of Christmas that burns bright all along coastal Maine. 

This eight day period was capped by a winter-feeling sunset that splashed pastel oranges and pinks on the outer edges of a cloud bank that seemed to “lower the ceiling” over Penobscot Bay and Rockland Harbor and forewarn of more unpredictable weather in the offing just around the corner. 

Looking back, the sight of holiday lobster buoys against a gray seascape and a tiny starfish atop the snow in Rockport Harbor – both very simple things, brought a smile to my face and reminded me of a secret. 

For every bit of gray and cold that may surround our daily lives like the weather, there are also vibrant cups of life’s cheer to be found – if we only take a moment to look for them shining bright all around us! 

Snapshots of eight days in December from Camden to York, Maine…