Caribou, Maine – Drivers across northern Maine could face icy roads and heavy sleet by Wednesday morning as a developing winter storm threatens to freeze travel across Aroostook County and nearby regions through Thursday morning.
According to the National Weather Service in Caribou, a Winter Storm Watch covers Northwest and Northeast Aroostook along with Northern Penobscot, Northern Somerset, Northern Piscataquis, and Southeast Aroostook counties from Wednesday morning until Thursday morning. Forecasters warn the system may produce more than 4 inches of combined snow and sleet in northern communities such as Fort Kent, Allagash, and Presque Isle, while areas farther south could see up to 0.4 inches of ice accumulation.
Communities including Caribou, Van Buren, Madawaska, and Frenchville may see a mix of snow and sleet before freezing rain develops in some areas. Even a quarter inch of ice can coat power lines and tree limbs, increasing the risk of scattered outages and hazardous travel on untreated roads.
Farther south near Millinocket, Patten, and Mount Katahdin, the storm could bring 1 to 2 inches of sleet along with a thicker glaze of freezing rain. Roads such as Route 11, Route 161, and stretches of I-95 in northern Penobscot County may become slick during the Wednesday evening commute and remain dangerous into Thursday morning.
Residents are urged to charge devices, limit non-essential travel during peak icing, and monitor local road updates. Additional watches or warnings may be issued as the storm track becomes clearer before Wednesday morning.
