Caribou, ME – Residents across Maine are facing a mix of light snowfall, extreme cold, and a potentially impactful coastal wind event as multiple weather systems move through the region over the next several days.
According to the National Weather Service in Caribou, a weak weather trough dropping south from Canada is expected to bring one to two inches of snow to far northern Maine Thursday night. Most other areas will remain mostly cloudy but very cold, with overnight low temperatures near zero across much of the state.
Forecasters say temperatures could dip even lower in the western highlands, where lows near 5 degrees below zero are possible. A cold weather advisory remains in effect for those higher-elevation areas due to the dangerous overnight conditions.
Looking ahead, attention is turning to a large and powerful storm system tracking well offshore that could impact Maine’s coastline later this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, the storm has the potential to brush the Downeast coast and offshore waters with strong winds from Sunday into Monday.
Wind gusts along the coast and offshore waters could reach 60 to 65 mph, especially Sunday evening. In addition to the wind, ocean swells up to 8 feet may reach the Maine coast by Monday, raising concerns for hazardous marine conditions.
While widespread inland impacts from the offshore storm are not expected at this time, coastal residents, mariners, and fishermen are urged to closely monitor forecasts as the system approaches.
Travelers in northern Maine should also be cautious late Thursday night due to light accumulating snow and bitter cold temperatures.
