CARIBOU, Maine — With a Thanksgiving snowstorm churning up the East Coast, Mainers woke up Tuesday morning to unseasonably high temperatures.
While it’s not impossible that some communities will see record-breaking high temperatures, Rich Norton, a forecaster at the National Weather Service’s Caribou office, said it’s unlikely any records will be broken.
Bangor’s record high temperature for Nov. 25 is 63 degrees, which was set in 1953. Temperatures statewide were expected to be in the upper 50s throughout the day.
The unexpected warmth comes before a winter storm expected to throw a wrench into Thanksgiving travel plans.
Most of the state is on alert for a storm expected to dump 8 to 12 inches of fresh snow Wednesday night and into Thursday.
On Tuesday afternoon, the weather service reported a winter storm warning has been upgraded to a winter storm watch for much of the state. Oxford, Franklin, Somerset, York, Cumberland, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Waldo, Sagadahoc, Lincoln and Knox counties are under a winter storm warning.
Far northern and western counties are under a winter weather advisory while the Bangor and Down East areas are under a winter storm warning.
The day before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the nation’s busiest travel days.
Anyone flying out of the state’s two major airports is urged to check with their airline before heading to the airport, and to arrive early for security proceedings.
Bangor International Airport director Tony Caruso said Tuesday that anyone traveling is urged to check with their airlines and monitor the airport’s website, flybangor.com, where a schedule is posted.
A similar schedule is also posted on the Portland Jetport’s website, portlandjetport.org.
Caruso said BIA’s snow-removing equipment and crews are running and ready to go.
Emera Maine crews also are keeping a close eye on the storm, the company said in a statement released Tuesday.
The company has utility trucks, personnel and stock geared up for the possibility of power outages.
Customers are reminded as always to stay away from downed power lines and trees that may be touching them.
