FORT KENT, Maine — Much of Maine saw double-digit differences between temperatures on Saturday and Sunday as a low pressure system slid into the state overnight, pushing warm air ahead of it, according to the National Weather Service.
It was close to 45 degrees warmer in the St. John Valley on Sunday afternoon, where temperatures bottomed out around 15 degrees below zero Saturday but hovered around 35 by Sunday afternoon.
In central Maine, Sunday’s afternoon temperature of 42 degrees was far above Saturday’s recorded low of minus 4.
Freezing rain created headaches for drivers Down East on Sunday morning. Washington County Sheriff’s Office supervising dispatcher Richard Moore said numerous cars had slid off icy secondary roads.
No injuries or major damage was reported, according to Moore.
Freezing rain could created more slippery conditions on secondary roads in Maine on Sunday night, according to Maureen Hastings, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Caribou.
The Sun Journal of Lewiston reported that with the arrival of freezing rain emergency crews were scrambling to respond to crashes from Saco to Mechanic Falls. Auburn Police Deputy Chief Jason Moen advised motorists to stay off the roads, insisting it would be safer to be at home watching football.
A freezing rain advisory remained in effect through 11 p.m. Sunday for much of northern and central Maine.
