Caribou, Maine – Roads across northern Maine are coated in ice early Thursday, creating hazardous driving conditions during the morning commute before temperatures rise later in the morning.
According to the National Weather Service in Caribou, a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. Thursday for Aroostook County, including Presque Isle, Caribou, Fort Kent, Madawaska, and Van Buren. Ice accumulation between one-tenth and two-tenths of an inch combined with sleet is expected to make untreated roads, bridges, and overpasses extremely slick.
Communities such as Ashland, Allagash, Mars Hill, and Clayton Lake may also see additional sleet accumulation around a tenth of an inch before precipitation ends. Visibility may change quickly as mixed precipitation continues through the early morning hours.
Farther south, another Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 9 a.m. Thursday for northern Somerset, Piscataquis, Penobscot, and southeast Aroostook counties. Locations including Millinocket, Houlton, Patten, and areas near Baxter State Park could see similar ice accumulations approaching two-tenths of an inch.
The icing may weigh down tree limbs and power lines in isolated spots while making highways and rural roads treacherous. Officials urge drivers to delay travel if possible and allow extra stopping distance on untreated roads.
Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing by mid-morning Thursday, allowing conditions to gradually improve as precipitation tapers off.
