A winter storm that moved into Maine overnight promises potentially slick road conditions across Down East Maine.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for coastal and interior Maine. It remains in effect until 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Wednesday’s storm is shaping up to deliver less of a blow to eastern Maine than initially forecast, with the most recent models significantly cutting back on the anticipated precipitation.
Snow began flying Tuesday night. It will dump about an inch of fresh snow over Greater Bangor and points north, with some isolated spots expecting as much as 2 or 3 inches. Meanwhile, little to no snow was forecast from Ellsworth to Eastport, according to the weather service station in Caribou.
That snow will begin changing to a mix of sleet and freezing rain in Hancock and Washington counties early Wednesday, which may lead to ice accumulation. Ice accumulation was originally forecast to extend north into the lower Penobscot Valley, which now may see as little as 0.01 inches of ice.
“Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday morning commute,” a weather service advisory reads.
Across Hancock and Washington counties ice accumulation may top off around a tenth of an inch, with lesser amounts expected along the immediate coast, the weather service reported.
Freezing rain may persist into mid-afternoon if temperatures stay cold enough.