Mild weather will continue to impact the region today as high pressure slides offshore and southwesterly flow once again takes over our area. Any glimpses of sun this morning will be short-lived as clouds stream in from the west ahead of our next storm system. Despite the relative lack of sunshine, temps will still warm up into the 40s for most of the area outside the mountains which will hang onto temps in the mid/upper 30s.
Our next storm system will split in two as it approaches northern New England with one component heading east into the Atlantic and another component moving north into Quebec. That means that precipitation will be light and scattered in nature tonight. Flurries/snow showers will be the dominant mode of precip in the mountains while sprinkles and rain showers will fall closer to the coast.
We’ll get one more warm day tomorrow before a powerful Arctic cold front finally sets the record straight tomorrow evening.
Today will feature the passage of a fast-moving storm system as low pressure zips up the Saint Lawrence Valley to our north. The track of the low means that we’ll be on its warmer side, so morning snow will gradually change over to rain in the south and sleet in the mountains. Temps will rise from the 10s and 20s this morning into the low 30s up north and low 40s along the coast. Snow is already falling across much of NH with flakes beginning to slide into Maine as of 8 AM. Everyone is likely to start off with a few flakes, but they will struggle to stick along the immediate coast coast. Spots just inland are likely to pick up a dusting to an inch or so while the foothills and mountains stack up 1-3″ before the changeover later this afternoon.
Rain and snow will taper off from west to east this evening.
Today will feature clear skies and seasonably cool temperatures as Canadian high pressure slides overhead. Look for high temps ranging from the mid 20s up north to near 40 along the NH Seacoast. Skies look to be mostly sunny as NW flow tapers off and upslope clouds fade accordingly. Enjoy the beautiful late-winter weather!
Today will feature falling temperatures as gusty northwest winds bring colder air into the region from Canada. Whatever temperature you’re at right now will be your high temperature for the day, though mostly sunny skies downwind of the mountains will help stall the cooling trend midday. Current temps range from the upper 20s up north to the mid 40s along the NH coastline. By mid afternoon, the mountains will fall into the low/mid 20s, the foothills/coastline to the low/mid 30s, and southeastern NH into the upper 30s. Temps will drop further this evening after sunset.
As with any bout of northwest flow, clouds and snow showers will hang tough in the mountains today and upsloping might be able to squeeze out as much as 1-3″ of snow especially higher up.
Today will feature continued mild weather as another storm approaches from the west. This system will spread clouds into the region from west to east starting midday. Before that, sunshine and SW breezes will push temps well above normal into the mid 30s north and mid/upper 40s south. A few of the usual springtime warm spots in southern NH may crack 50. Precipitation associated with this next system will arrive from the west this evening. The steadiest precip will be up in the mountains where mostly snow will fall after temps drop back into the upper 20s to low 30s. Snow will mix with sleet and rain at times as you head into the mountains south of Sugarloaf, and precipitation will fall entirely as rain over the foothills and coastal plain tonight. Snowfall totals generally won’t exceed 2″ outside the higher terrain and no snow will accumulate south of route 2.
Today will feature milder weather as Pacific air floods the US and Canada and pushes Arctic air back up towards the North Pole. Look for high temps ranging from the low 30s way up north to the low 40s along the coast. Some sunshine is noted out the window this morning here in Yarmouth, but satellite imagery suggests this will be rather short-lived as clouds stream into the region from the west ahead of our next disturbance. This system will be falling apart as it moves in our direction, so precipitation will be confined to the mountains largely in the form of snow but clouds will become more abundant as the day goes on. A few showers could escape towards the coast around and a little after sunset, but impacts should be minimal.
Another storm is on the way this morning as low pressure moves up through the Great Lakes. This track puts us on the warmer side of the system, but with such cold air in place across the region, we’re still likely to see some wintry precipitation.
Overcast skies and quiet conditions will be the rule this morning as temps warm from the single digits and 10s as I write this a little after seven to the mid 20s north/low 30s south by around noon.
This forecast graphic valid at noon shows a few flurries breaking out over the area ahead of the main precipitation shield as southerly winds (the little things shaped somewhat like the letter “L” tell you the wind speed and direction, with the long axis parallel to the wind direction and the little notches on the upwind side marking off wind speeds in increments of 5 and 10kts with short and long notches respectively) push temps near/above freezing along the coast.
By 3 PM, steady precipitation will be underway across most of the area with flakes and raindrops just starting to fall northeast of Portland. The freezing line will likely make some inland progress during peak afternoon heating, but I remain a little skeptical about just how far it will make it. There are a couple reasons for this: cold air damming is least effective on a southwest wind in our area (that’s what we have this morning), but a deep snowpack extends well to our southwest, so incoming air is not as warm as it appears. By the time winds shift around to the south/southeast this afternoon, we will be able to tap into a source of warm air (the Gulf of Maine), but cold air damming will start to kick in with that wind direction. Additionally, as precip starts to fall into the currently-dry airmass, evaporation will induce cooling in the low levels.
By the time heavier precipitation arrives this evening, evaporation, cold air damming, and sunset should drive temps to near freezing for everyone away from the coastline. Snow will fall heavily at times for a couple hours around 5-8 PM which could cause issues on the roads, especially inland and farther north. While I am bullish on the cold in general, I do think it will take a while for the immediate coast to cool off enough for snow, so accumulations will be much more limited there.
Later this evening, a secondary low will form south of Rockland which will prolong heavy precipitation near Penobscot Bay and will help facilitate some cooling as winds turn around to the east/northeast once it gets going. So I think that in addition to the usual jackpot up on the southeast-facing slopes of the Whites and the mountains of Maine, the Camden Hills look pretty good for a secondary max in snowfall totals. Keep in mind that snow especially along the coast will be heavy and wet with this system, so take care shoveling.
The system will depart in the early morning hours with calm weather returning tomorrow.
So how much snow should we expect?
I think most spots will come in between 1″ (along the coast) and 4″ (foothills). Strong southeast winds will support totals closer to 6″ in the higher terrain from the White Mountains up towards Sugarloaf, while the higher elevations of the Camden Hills should be able to rack up 4-6″ with that secondary low. Along the coast, mixing with rain will hold totals down, especially as you get east of I-95 and south of Route 1.
Today will feature quiet weather and seasonably cool temps as NW flow weakens ahead of an approaching ridge axis. The approach of this high pressure means that skies will be mostly sunny across the area and temps will be right around seasonal averages. Look for highs in the low to mid 20s up north and low 30s south. NW breezes will gradually taper off as the day goes on. Get out there and enjoy the lovely weather if you have the opportunity!
Today will feature seasonably cool temperatures and somewhat unsettled weather conditions as cold air moves in aloft and creates some instability in the lower atmosphere. This instability will allow upslope snow showers developing in northwest flow to drift towards the coast from time to time today. These snow showers will bring brief periods of moderate to heavy snow and could drop a coating to an inch on untreated surfaces. Temps in the upper 20s to low 30s and the relatively high sun angle this time of year should preclude much if any accumulation on roads, but it’s always good to keep an extra eye out for slick spots when snow is falling. Snow showers will be most widespread in the mid afternoon hours and will settle down as we approach sunset.
Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy along the coast and overcast in the mountains.
Today will feature (very) light snow as a weak storm system slides by to our south. Flakes are already flying across southern and western parts of the area this morning, and that’s generally where activity will be concentrated today. I’m not expecting more than an inch of accumulation this morning through the midday hours. By early afternoon, an approaching upper-level trough and developing ocean-effect should turn up the heat on snowfall rates especially along the coast south of Portland. This may allow for a period of moderate snow to drop another couple inches here while the rest of the area continues to see light snow (except for the northern mountains where flakes will really struggle to make it to the ground).
So in total, if you’re up north of Route 2, expect a dusting to an inch, if you’re in the NH mountains, foothills, or coastal plain north of Brunswick, expect 1-2″, and if you’re in the sweet spot from Casco Bay ish down to the NH Seacoast and points 30-50 miles inland, be prepared for as much as 2-4″. A couple really lucky spots may be able to push 6″ if everything sets up right, but with the recent trend of disappointing storms in setups like this, I remain skeptical.
Snow will wind down from west to east this evening. High temps today will range from the low 20s up north to around 30 right along the coast south of Portland.
Forecasterjack 