Portland, Maine – A broad stretch of colder-than-normal air is expected to settle across Maine and much of the eastern United States from Friday through early the following week, bringing a prolonged period of freezing conditions and limited chances for meaningful rain or snow.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, temperatures across the Northeast are favored to run well below normal during the Jan. 30–Feb. 5 period, with the strongest signal centered from New England down through the Mid-Atlantic and into the Carolinas. Probabilities for below-normal temperatures in parts of the East, including Maine, range from 80 to 100 percent, signaling high confidence in the colder pattern.
In Maine, daytime highs are likely to struggle, while overnight lows remain consistently below freezing. The cold air mass extends south along the East Coast from Connecticut to Florida and west into the Ohio Valley, Mississippi, and portions of the central Plains. Farther west, near-normal temperatures are expected across parts of the Upper Midwest and western Texas, while above-normal warmth remains confined to the Pacific Coast and areas west of the Rockies.
The same outlook shows below-normal precipitation favored across much of the eastern U.S., including Maine. This suggests fewer opportunities for widespread snowfall or soaking rain, despite the colder air. Drier-than-normal conditions also stretch across the Midwest and into the Rockies.
Above-normal precipitation chances are limited mainly to Texas, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Near-normal precipitation is expected across parts of the southern Deep South, the central Plains, and sections of the Southwest.
Residents across Maine should plan for persistent cold, monitor for localized icy spots, and be prepared for continued winter conditions even without frequent storms. Additional outlook updates are expected as the period approaches.
