Today will feature pretty nice weather by late December/early winter standards. Look for mostly sunny skies, light NW breezes, and fairly mild temps. Highs will range from around 30 in the north to around 40 along the coast. No precip is expected outside of a few mountain flurries possible in weak upslope flow this morning. Clouds will increase this evening ahead of our next storm system which will bring rain and snow to the area tomorrow. Like yesterday’s system, it will not be a major one and the highest snow total should fall somewhere around the 3″ mark and that will be in the western mountains. The coast will likely see more rain than snow.
While the specifics remain uncertain, potential exists for an ice event Monday into Tuesday as low pressure moves to our west and cold high pressure slides slowly east. While confidence remains fairly low, potential impacts could be substantial so I figured I’d give a heads up just to be aware of the latest forecasts if your travel plans involve Monday or Tuesday.
Today will feature mainly cloudy skies along with light snow for most and some light rain along the immediate shorelines. Look for a general 1-3″ of accumulation with some northern mountain locations and some southern coastal towns seeing only a dusting or so. Snow will arrive in the next couple hours for places it hasn’t already and will depart in the mid afternoon. Snow will be light to moderate and no heavy accumulation is expected though take care if travelling as some roads, especially those that haven’t been treated, may be slippery. Temps will range from about 20 in the north to a little above freezing along the coast.
HRRR Showing Light Snow For Most Of The Area Today. Credit: Weatherbell
Today will feature calm weather with mainly sunny skies, chilly temps this morning quickly moderating to seasonable highs this afternoon, and little to nothing in the way of wind or precip. Look for highs to approach freezing along the coast and top out in the low 20’s north. Get out there and enjoy the lovely weather!
Light rain and snow is in the forecast for Thursday before quiet weather for the holiday weekend.
Today will feature some up and down weather as cold air this morning slowly gives way to slightly milder air, at least along the coast. Freezing rain will continue this morning inland with up to a third of an inch of ice expected. While widespread power outages are not expected, some branches could come down over the foothills this afternoon. Cold air will rush into the area this afternoon with gusty NW winds and much colder air. Temps will fall from the 30’s and 40’s this morning back into the 20’s this evening. This sharp drop in temps will result in a flash freeze with any melted snow and ice refreezing on sidewalks and roads. Watch out for these slick spots all day today especially away from the coast. Some snow showers are possible this evening across the mountains with some light accumulations possible.
Today will feature moderate snow changing tonight to freezing rain across southern areas. A total of 3-6″ is expected with a trace to .1″ of ice. This combo will make for very slippery travel conditions across the region. Moderate snow is already ongoing across the area and will continue until the evening hours when snow and freezing rain will both taper off to freezing drizzle. Our next round of precip will feature freezing rain going over to rain as low pressure tracks to our west. Temps today will rise slowly from around 10 to around 20-25.
Today will feel like true winter as cold air pours in from the north west. Winds will gradually subside but Portland has been gusting to 30mph all night and this will continue through the morning hours. Current temps are below zero across the entire region as of 6:00 AM with -2 in Portland and -5 in Rockland. Temps up in the mountains are near -20. Highs today will be cold, there’s no way around that. Highs above zero will be confined to the coast and possibly the southern foothills where single digits above zero are forecast. Single digits below zero are expected in the mountains.
Snow arrives tomorrow. 3-6″ of accumulation can be expected. I will try to have an update on that this evening but given scheduling constraints, no guarantees.
A series of cold fronts will roll through the area today bringing with them very cold temps and dangerous wind chills. Temps today will begin in the low to mid 20’s for most and won’t move up more than a degree or two before they begin a steady fall. By tomorrow morning, above zero temps look to be confined to the immediate coast as WNW winds howl at up to 50 mph. Snow showers and squalls will periodically traverse the area today and if one happens to find you, expect brief but intense snow, a quick coating/inch, and reduced visibility. These squalls will be most likely in the mountains but anyone is at risk for seeing one as the fronts pass through.
Wind chills tonight and tomorrow morning will be dangerous and wind chill warnings are posted away from the coast where wind chill advisories are up.
Today will feature fairly normal temps, more clouds than sun, and the chance for some flurries/snow showers especially in the mountains. Look for highs in the mid 20’s north and mid 30’s along the southern coast. Winds will be light and turning to the north west this afternoon as the first of two cold fronts passes through. This front could have a few flurries along its leading edge but the impactful front will be saved for tomorrow.
Arctic air floods into the region behind tomorrow’s front which has the potential to bring fairly robust snow squalls that, while not widespread, could be intense with brief near-zero visibility and quick 1-2″ accumulations. More on that tomorrow.
Today will feature a break before some wild weather late in the week. Look for a mix of sun and clouds with more sun than clouds in the morning and more clouds than sun in the afternoon. Highs will range from the mid 20’s north to the mid 30’s south. No precip is expected this morning but a few show showers are expected this evening in the mountains. A few of those could stray south east towards the coast tonight so don’t be shocked to see some flakes in the air tonight. Accumulations from this will be very minor with less than an inch expected region wide.
A wintry week is in store over the next 7 days as exceptionally cold air pours south into the area late week following snow showers and squalls along its leading edge Wednesday. Our next chance for a widespread, reasonably impactful snow event will be next weekend though the details on that remains uncertain.
0Z GEM Showing Flurries Possible Wednesday Morning. Image Credit: Weatherbell
Tuesday will feature a mix of sun and clouds becoming gradually obscured by overcast as the first of two cold fronts approaches. This will cross the area Wednesday morning and may interact with enough coastal moisture to squeeze out a few flurries Wednesday morning along the coast though no accumulation or impacts are expected. Temps will be within a few degrees of freezing each day. Enjoy this mild air while it lasts, the polar express is rolling into town on Thursday and is here to stay until Saturday.
12Z Euro Showing Deep Cold Air Flooding Into The Area On Biting NW Winds Friday Morning. Image Credit: Pivotal Weaher
The biggest weather story this week will be the cold. The Arctic floodgates will be open for business and cold air will be rushing south Thursday and Friday. The coldest temps look to arrive Friday morning when lows at the coast will slip below zero even as NW winds howl at over 20mph. Temps will be even colder in the mountains with lows between 10 and 20 below zero likely. Wind chills approaching 35 below in the north and 25 below in the south are expected which will result in dangerous conditions for any exposed skin.
12Z GFS Showing Conditions Ripe For Snow Squalls Thursday Evening As The Arctic Air Rolls Into Town. Credit: CIPS
Another thing to watch this week will be snow squalls on the leading edge of the Arctic airmass. The GFS paints a fairly impressive picture for Maine in terms of snow squall potential. While squalls won’t be responsible for widespread accumulation, a quick inch or two is always possible along with near zero visibility and strong winds. The other impact will be reduced visibility even after the squalls leave as any fresh fluffy snow from the squalls will easily be blown around by Friday’s winds.
Thankfully, the most bitter of cold temps will retreat off to the east by Saturday with light snow developing from west to east Saturday afternoon. It’s too early to pin down specifics about the weekend event but substantial impacts are not out of the question with some mix of snow, sleet, and ice expected for the entire area. Coastal areas may experience rain for a brief time as well. More to come this week depending on my schedule.
Forecasterjack 