A coming storm will leave a fresh coating of snow across Maine just before Christmas.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch from Portland to the upper midcoast, while a hazardous weather outlook has been issued for interior and Down East Maine.
The storm will begin spitting snow on Tuesday and linger into Wednesday, Christmas Eve. There is still some uncertainty about the exact accumulation at this time.
But it is currently expected to drop up to 3 to 4 inches of fresh snow over Greater Bangor and Ellsworth, while 4 to 6 inches are anticipated for Mount Desert Island, according to the weather service office in Caribou.
That snowfall will lessen somewhat farther Down East, where 2 to 3 inches are forecast for Machias and 1 to 2 inches for Eastport.
Northern Maine will see the least snow this round, with less than an inch expected from Houlton to Fort Kent.
The storm is anticipated to deliver the strongest blow to southern Maine and the midcoast.