Maine is bracing for a series of weather events as the state navigates the aftermath of its first snowstorm of the season, accompanied by record-low temperatures from last week. On Sunday evening, a low-pressure system is expected to bring light snow, with projections indicating accumulations of 1-2 inches in areas north of Portland, according to meteorologist Jon Palmer from the National Weather Service in Gray.
Snow squalls may occur overnight in the Lakes Region and Oxford and Franklin counties, but Palmer assures that these conditions are unlikely to impact the morning commute on Monday.
As the week progresses, two additional weather systems are anticipated to sweep across the Northeast, bringing further snow showers from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. These new systems are expected to produce a couple more inches of snow across Maine. “We’re looking at a lot of light snow events through the rest of the week, not really anything significant,” Palmer noted.
Moreover, another weather system is predicted to arrive on Thursday, which could introduce a few additional inches of snow in the mountainous regions and a mix of rain and snow along the coast.
The low-pressure system affecting Sunday night is expected to be succeeded by a high-pressure system. This transition will bring northwest winds that will result in notably cold air descending upon Maine. Forecasts indicate that overnight lows on Monday will plunge into the single digits, with Portland experiencing a low of 3 degrees and Rangeley dropping to minus 1. Palmer highlighted that “the breezy winds we’re looking at during the day tomorrow are going to be that movement of that cold air mass into our area.”
Clear skies and a fresh layer of snow on Monday night will contribute to the frigid temperatures, as the earth effectively loses heat to the atmosphere in these conditions. However, despite the chilling forecast, Palmer stated that it is unlikely any records will be broken this week as they were in the previous week.
The systems arriving midweek will help displace some of the cold air, allowing for gradual temperature increases as the week unfolds. Residents are advised to stay vigilant as the weather continues to change in the coming days.
