FORT KENT, Maine — It may be spring according to the calendar, but much of Maine’s weather still has some winter left, at least over the next few days.
Much of northern Maine is under a winter weather advisory while gale warnings are up along the coast thanks to two lows set to merge overnight and move into the Canadian maritimes, according to Joe Hewitt, lead forecaster of the National Weather Service in Caribou.
The result, Hewitt said Saturday evening, will be 2 to 4 inches of snow over northern Maine with possible higher amounts Down East and in central Maine, temperatures dropping and heavy northwest winds.
Those winds are expected to pick up Sunday morning, and the weather service predicts gusts of up to 50 mph over northern Maine and 55 mph Down East and in central Maine where wind advisories are in effect.
Thanks to temperatures that will not rise above the mid-teens on Sunday, any snow that does fall will be light and fluffy, Hewitt said, and combined with the strong winds will create drifting and whiteout conditions.
“Sunday is going to be a good day to stay inside,” he said. “It will not be a good day to be out driving.”
Wind chills will be below zero degrees, according to Hewitt, a marked difference from Saturday where temperatures in the low- to mid-30s around the state felt almost mild thanks to the sun and no winds.
“It’s going to feel like the middle of winter again,” he said.
Temperatures will climb back into the 30s by midweek, Hewitt said, and by the end of the week, parts of the state could hit the lower 40s.
“Thursday into Friday, we will be at the normal or above normal temperatures for this time of year for the first time since the first part of March,” he said. “We could see some snow or rain on Thursday, but that will be a quick hit.”
Hewitt said Sunday’s winds could produce sporadic power outages because of downed tree limbs and power lines, especially Down East.
