After a rough night, weather conditions improve Wednesday for Maine

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Rain ends by mid-morning to late morning Wednesday. A weak ridge of high pressure moves into the region, clearing skies out for most. Clouds will be on the increase late in the day over southern areas as frontal boundary approaches from the west, with rain returning Thursday. After the frontal passage Thursday night, temperatures crash during the day on Friday ahead of a dry, but cold weekend.

Tuesday Night Into Wednesday Morning

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HIGH WIND WARNING for Coastal Hancock and Washington Counties from Midnight to 10 AM Wednesday.

WIND ADVISORY for Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, Coastal Waldo, Interior Hancock, and Central Washington Counties from Midnight to 10 AM Wednesday

With the low level jet stream showing speeds of 65 – 80 knots at around 5,000 feet above ground level, it will get a bit wild along the coast of the state. This image here at 1 AM Wednesday shows the wind blowing up and down the coastline at 35-45 mph, with gusts possible in the 50-60 mph range overnight. It will certainly be a howler, and may cause spotty power outages.

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There are no other real changes to the forecast posted Monday night. Only subtle change is for coastal areas to see some snow to start off, but as the southerly winds ramp up driving in warmer air, snow changes to rain fairly quick a the coast, and then progressively inland. A general 2-6″ of snow for the the western foothills and mountains on up through northern Maine. Ski areas won’t be impacted that much with this event, but Thursday may be a different story.

As stated in the previous update, anyone travelling overnight should be aware that the ground is frozen solid. It may be raining and temperature reads above 32°, but the ground may not be. Expect slick areas 1-2 hours after the changeover from snow to rain.

Conditions Improve Wednesday

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Rain ends over southern & western areas before daylight, and then by mid-to late morning for northern and eastern areas. Clouds begin to break up, and the state takes a break from the precipitation, but not for long.

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As this storm system exits the region, a weak ridge of high pressure takes over briefly before being driven southeast by a frontal boundary racing eastward.

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By the afternoon, most if not all areas of the state are likely to see temperatures above freezing. Central and southern areas are likely to see the most sun during the day. A southwest breeze helps keep temperatures up through the day.

Temperatures appear to fall below freezing in areas away from the coast Wednesday night which will likely cause areas of ice on the roadways for the interior.

Another Round Of Rain & Ice Thursday

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 A weak warm front enters the region by Thursday morning, which sets up light freezing rain potential for any area that dips below 32°. Southwest wind picks up again with the warm front, driving temperatures back above freezing in the 30s and 40s. Rain showers appear to take a bit breather around midday to early afternoon.

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By mid to late Thursday afternoon, the main front bears down on the region, starting off with rain, and then switching to snow showers and squalls behind it. After the frontal passage, temperatures begin to drop, and a northwest wind picks up. All precipitation ends in the wee hours of Thursday, but ice will once again be the concern for roadways around the state as temperatures fall during the course of the day to the single digits and teens by Friday evening, then below zero to single digits above statewide by Saturday morning.

Saturday and Sunday appear dry and cold. Monday temperatures begin to slowly crawl out of the basement, and appear to be above normal by the late part of next week. The January thaw, right on time.

NOTE: Due to scheduling conflicts, there will be no formal update Wednesday, but please check the Pine Tree Weather Facebook page for information. My next full discussion is likely to be posted Thursday evening.

~ Mike Haggett

#IntegrityFirst

Updates are usually posted between 5 – 7 PM. Please bookmark Pine Tree Weather in order to check to get the latest update!

For official forecast information: please check in with National Weather Service Gray for Western & Southern Maine and National Weather Service Caribou for Eastern & Northern Maine.

For more information between posts, please check out the Pine Tree Weather Facebook page and follow me on Twitter for breaking weather alerts & information!

Special thanks to Tropical Tidbits and Pivotal Weather for their written permission to use their graphics in this post. Use of WeatherTAP images used within their written permitted terms of media use policy. Additional forecast information supplied by the National Weather Service, WeatherBELL Analytics and AccuWeather Professional.

Always Stay Weather Aware!

Mike Haggett

About Mike Haggett

As a Mainer for nearly five decades, Mike understands all too well the ever changing weather forecasts and surprises given the location and geography of the state. Spending much of his time as child outdoors fishing in all four seasons, keeping track of the weather was a must for personal safety. Living firsthand through the impacts of weather through many types of storms and phenomena, the idea came to mind for him to analyze it closer in 2011.