High winds gusting as high as 50 mph will blow into Maine on Wednesday as utilities warn the fall storm could cause outages.
That storm comes as much of the state continues to struggle with a prolonged drought. It’s a combination that could bring down weakened trees and cause scattered outages.
“With drought conditions and trees still carrying their leaves, Versant Power is particularly concerned about the impact of strong winds,” Janet Scully, storm manager for Versant Power, said Tuesday. “We are working to ensure we have field crews positioned to address public safety issues, begin assessing any damage, and make repairs if winds and falling trees cause damage to the electrical system Wednesday.”
A cold front will move into the state on Wednesday, bringing with it high winds and heavy rain at times, according to a National Weather Service advisory.
Winds are forecast to gust as high as 45 to 50 mph off the coast, where the weather service has issued a gale watch that’s in effect Wednesday morning through the evening. A hazardous weather outlook also has been issued for eastern and northern Maine.
Inland toward Bangor, winds are forecast to blow 14 to 21 mph, with gusts reaching as high as 30 to 35 mph. That will be accompanied by about half an inch of rain in Greater Bangor, according to the weather service.
Along the immediate coast, winds are expected to blow about 23 to 28 mph and gust up to 41 mph in Bar Harbor, while wind speeds will reach 24 to 29 mph and gust up to 43 mph in Eastport, according to the weather service. Rainfall along the coast from Bar Harbor to Eastport is expected to total up to half an inch.
In southern Maine, Portland can expect winds to blow 15 to 20 mph and see gusts up to 40 mph. That will be accompanied by rain up to three quarters of an inch, according to the weather service.
The brunt of the storm will miss northern Maine, where winds are still forecast to reach 14 to 19 mph in Caribou and gusts peak about 20 to 25 mph. The forecast calls for up to half an inch to an inch of rain near Caribou, according to the weather service.
Wednesday’s storm will give way to sunny skies throughout most of the state on Thursday.