Nor’easter to bring heavy snow, wind to Maine Thursday

1:30 PM UPDATE – STORM CONTINUES UNTIL TONIGHT

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A very impressive storm is south of Cape Cod and is rapidly intensifying as it moves northeastward toward Nova Scotia.

Intense snow bands are slowly moving through the coastal interior, with snowfall rates of 1-3″ per hour. Along with wind gusting in the 30-40 mph range, whiteout conditions are being reported along the highways.

The storm continues to intensify. Coastal areas and the coastal interior will continue to deal with near blizzard conditions through the remainder of the afternoon into the evening.

Future cast outlook for the remainder of the storm shows a progression eastward with snow ending from west to east beginning around 7-8 PM and exiting the state by 2-3 AM.

Snowfall amounts posted earlier remain on track. Some areas over the interior that experienced the intense bands that formed this morning are likely to end up with around a foot of new snow. Coastal areas are likely to end up at the 8-14″ mark, with locally higher amounts to 16″ possible.

If you must travel this evening, allow for plenty of extra time to arrive at your destination.

Previous update…

The forecast trend that shifted west on Wednesday continued with overnight model ideas. The results appear that interior and coastal Maine will receive a hefty blanket of snow and blowing snow, ending in the early hours of Friday.

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This is an updated snowfall idea to reflect the model trend. The only area that escapes the impact of the storm is far northwestern Maine in the Allagash region over to Fort Kent. Otherwise, the road crews will be out in force around the Pine Tree State this morning and continuing snow removal into Friday.

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Main area of concern is for the coast. York County on up through Washington County shoreline areas are likely to receive a foot of snow from this event. DownEast areas are likely to get the brunt of the snow, with 10-14″ plus possible around Penobscot Bay over to Passamaquoddy Bay.

Along with the snow, comes the wind. North / northeast winds gusting at 35-45 mph along the coast will cause blowing and drifting snow. Near blizzard conditions are possible for the shorelines and for DownEast Maine later in the day as the storm passes just south of Nova Scotia.

As for the ocean, seas are expected in the 7 to 11 foot range this evening. The tides are astronomically high with the full moon, but any flooding or beach erosion is expected to be minimal. Freezing spray from waves is likely to cause issues along immediate shoreline roads with high tide Thursday morning in the 9 AM hour, and again during the high tide around 10 PM tonight.

End time for snowfall appears to be 7-10 PM for western and southern areas, 1-4 AM for eastern and northern Maine.

Next round of snow is possible Saturday with a warm front approaching from the southwest which may bring 1-3″ of accumulation in areas around the state. Another storm approaches the region Sunday. Model trends with that event appear colder for now, and may bring another round of moderate to heavy snow to start the work week.

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It’s February in Maine. Stay tuned.

-Mike Haggett

#IntegrityFirst

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.

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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.