Hello everyone!

Another day of unsettled weather is on the agenda for today, this time with the added excitement of Arctic air and a powerful Norlun trough.

Temps this morning are on the cooler side of normal, though well within the range of what’s typical for New England in January. Readings are right around zero in the mountains and near 10 along the coast. These cold temps are the result of Arctic air that poured into the region overnight on the back of gusty NW winds which will continue today. That means that wind chills will remain near or below zero for most of the area for most of the day, so bundle up if you’re headed outside!

Farther to our east, maritime air is pushing west from the Canadian Maritimes. The boundary between this cool/moist maritime airmass and the cold/dry Arctic airmass most of the region is experiencing this morning is known as a Norlun trough. These features are known for producing narrow bands of extremely heavy snow. Sure enough, radar imagery this morning shows a nice band of snow extending from Penobscot Bay south into the Gulf of Maine. The big forecast question today is how far inland can this band push as it pivots southwest and eventually south towards Cape Cod.

At the moment, it looks like most of the coastal plain will see at least some snow from this trough today. Parts of the midcoast, especially closer to Penobscot Bay, could pick up a few inches of fluff. Coastal areas farther SW could see up to 1-2″ of snow as the band rotates through this afternoon. Dustings will be more common as you move towards the foothills, while any snow up in the mountains will be driven more by upsloping than this trough feature.

Even those only expecting a dusting to an inch today should use extra caution on the roads as this morning’s cold airmass means that snow will stick immediately and gusty NW winds will easily blow the fluffy snow around. Snow will pivot south of the area by late this afternoon. The heaviest snow will likely fall mid-late morning along the Midcoast and early this afternoon in the Portland area.

Behind this trough, we’ll actually tap into that relatively milder maritime air so high temps will make it all the way up into the 20s along the coast and parts of the foothills closer to Farmington/Augusta. Points farther SW will be a bit cooler in the upper 10s while the mountains stay locked in the high single digits to low 10s.

-Jack

Hello everyone!

Today will feature cooler temps and continued unsettled weather as yesterday’s weak storm system continues to linger in the Gulf of Maine. Radar imagery this morning suggests that snow is focused mostly along and near the coastline with some precip extending back west into the foothills. Precip may fall as a mix of snow and freezing drizzle depending on exactly how much energy the atmosphere can devote to making snowflakes at any given place at any given time.

Additional accumulations today should be on the light side, but may add up to an inch or so in the most favored spots between Portland, Lewiston, Augusta, and Bath.

Even for those who see little to no snow today, the influence of this disturbance will be felt in the form of persistent cloud cover. Later this afternoon, Arctic air will begin to pour in from the NW on increasingly strong breezes. At that point, downsloping might just be enough to clear out some sunny spots along the coastal plain.

High temps will occur relatively early in the day and will range from the low 20s up in the mountains to the low 30s along the coast.

Much colder air will move in overnight and will set the stage for a quick but potent snow event tomorrow along the coast.

-Jack

Hello everyone!

The weak storm system that brought snow to the region last night is in no hurry to depart the area this morning. As a result, we’ll be left with ENE winds, a maritime airmass, overcast skies, and light snow. As the morning goes on, snow should become lighter and spottier so additional accumulations seem unlikely to exceed a half inch to an inch. The ENE winds on the north side of this system will keep low-level moisture high today, so expect periods of mist/drizzle/light snow/light rain depending on exactly how much lift the atmosphere can generate at any given time and what your temperature is. Speaking of temps, they’ll be on the milder side today thanks to the marine influence of partially-onshore flow. Look for highs in the upper 20s north to upper 30s in SE NH. With some melting this afternoon along the coast followed by subfreezing temps tonight, watch for patchy black ice if you’re headed out and about after sunset this evening or tomorrow morning.

-Jack

Hello everyone!

Another weak and disorganized storm system is on the way tonight which means that calm weather is in store for today. Morning sunshine will gradually give way to afternoon cloudiness as the system approaches, but snow should hold off until after dark except perhaps for a few flakes in far SW NH. High temps look to range from the mid 20s up north to the mid 30s along the NH/MA border.

Snow will move into the area from SW to NE this evening, but will struggle to really get going in the relatively dry airmass over Maine. While almost everyone should see at least a dusting, amounts over 2″ should be limited to central/southern NH and perhaps far SW ME.

Snow will continue to fall lightly tomorrow morning before tapering off. tomorrow afternoon.

-Jack

Hello everyone!

High pressure will move across the area today which means that yesterday’s gusty NW winds are mostly behind us and temps will start to moderate a bit. Expect highs ranging from the mid 20s north to right around freezing in the south. Though NW winds won’t be nearly as strong as they were yesterday, we do still have a bit of NW flow which means that low clouds are hanging tough up in the mountains while clear skies prevail along the coastal plain. Enjoy the nice weather!

-Jack

Hello everyone!

After a disastrously warm first three weeks of January, cold air has finally returned to the region overnight thanks to some gusty NW winds moving in from Canada. We are, believe it or not, right around where we “should” be this time of year as far as temps are concerned. Highs will range from the low 10s up north to the mid 20s in the south. Gusty NW winds will gradually subside as we move into the afternoon which means wind chill values will creep up from -10 in the south and -20 in the north to about +5-10 in the south and -5-10 in the north. Bundle up if you’re headed outside!

Skies will range from overcast NW of the mountains with a few flurries possible to mostly sunny along the coast.

-Jack

Hello everyone!

For only the second time this winter season, a blast of Arctic air is headed our direction today. Expect NW winds to pick up throughout the day, becoming quite gusty by this afternoon. High temps will be reached relatively early in the day and will range from the mid 10s north to the upper 20s south. That means that by this afternoon/evening, wind chill values will be falling below zero area-wide. Our incoming airmass is not only cold, but also quite dry. That means that morning snow showers and flurries in southern NH and up in the mountains will fade away this morning leaving dry conditions by this afternoon. Cloud cover should follow the usual upslope/downslope pattern of overcast skies up in the mountains and generally sunny skies closer to the coast.

-Jack

Hello everyone!

Yet another cold front is crossing the region today which means yet another round of snow showers and squalls, especially up in the mountains. This afternoon’s round of snow showers follows another batch of light snow that has mostly departed the region but may still produce a few flurries east of I-95 and I-295 this morning. Skies will be mostly cloudy today with the possible exception of some bright spots closer to the coast midday and early in the afternoon.

The main round of squalls will arrive later this afternoon into this evening and could be quite potent. Though short-lived, squalls will produce heavy snow, strong winds, and greatly-reduced visibility. If you encounter a squall while driving, the best plan of action is to pull over and wait for it to pass. Usually these don’t linger over any given area for more than 5-15 minutes.

Snow accumulations today will range from 1-3″ up in the mountains to a dusting elsewhere. It is possible that squalls manage to linger for a little longer over portions of the coast between Saco and Bath due to a weak inverted trough. If this ends up happening, a few spots in this area may manage an inch or even two. Just like summertime thunderstorms, the impacts felt from these squalls in one town may be very different than those felt in the next town over.

High temps today will range from the upper 20s north to the upper 30s in southern NH.

-Jack

Hello everyone!

Today will feature cooler temps and cloudy skies as a weak system approaches from the west. Based on satellite imagery this morning, not too many of us should see the sun but the best chance for a bright spot over the next couple hours would be in eastern areas. As the day goes on, light westerly breezes will flip around to the southwest, and the arrival of slightly warmer air will begin. This warm air won’t do much to boost temps today as highs settle in the mid 10s up north and upper 20s in SE NH.

Light snow associated with this system is headed our direction this morning and it appears on track to arrive in the mountains a little before noon. Snow will most likely not be able to make it to the coast in any organized fashion, but flurries are possible from time to time this afternoon. Accumulations will range from nothing along the coast to a dusting in parts of the foothills to as much as 1-2″ in the mountains.

-Jack

Hello everyone!

Today will start off partly to mostly sunny before clouds return ahead of the next weak disturbance set to cross the region tonight. This disturbance will bring some snow showers to the area later tonight but accumulations are likely to be limited to the mountains. Ahead of this system, temps will be a bit cooler than in recent days with highs ranging from the mid 20s up north to the mid 30s in southern NH.

-Jack