Caribou, Maine – Drivers across northern Maine should prepare for slick travel beginning late Friday night as a wintry mix moves into Aroostook County, potentially creating icy patches along major routes including US-1 and ME-11 before precipitation changes to rain Saturday afternoon.
According to the National Weather Service in Caribou, colder air settling across the region Thursday will keep temperatures well below freezing during the morning hours, with many communities across northern Maine waking up to readings in the teens and lower 20s. Skies will remain partly to mostly cloudy through the day with limited sunshine, keeping roads cold ahead of the next approaching system.
Travel conditions may remain generally manageable through Friday afternoon as temperatures slowly rise toward the upper 20s and lower 30s. However, increasing cloud cover Friday evening will signal the arrival of a developing storm system moving into northern Maine from the west.
By late Friday night, precipitation is expected to begin as a wintry mix across much of Aroostook County. Areas along US-1 through Caribou, Presque Isle, and Fort Kent may see a combination of snow, sleet, or freezing rain during the overnight hours. Even light icing can quickly create hazardous travel conditions, especially on bridges, untreated roads, and rural highways.
Roadways along ME-11 and secondary routes connecting rural communities may become particularly slick early Saturday morning if freezing rain briefly develops before temperatures climb above freezing.
Warmer air moving into the region Saturday afternoon should gradually change precipitation to plain rain. This transition will help improve road conditions later in the day, though lingering moisture could still create wet pavement across northern Maine highways.
Drier conditions are expected to return Sunday as the storm system exits the region. Residents should remain alert for potential travel advisories Friday night into Saturday morning as the wintry mix develops.
