MAINE, USA — And we're off to the races!
February is set to start with a solid nor'easter, bringing the most snow many of us have seen since New Year's Day.
As a refresher, central Maine saw about 6" or so. Some spots along route 6 in Penobscot county measured near a foot, as well as some of the peaks in the central Highlands.
The next snow storm brings widespread accumulations of 6-12" for most of Maine and New Hampshire.
It all starts with the forecast on Monday.
Clouds thicken through the day as the storm moves closer to us. Given the cold air, some flurries will be possible as early as Monday evening.
There are two parts to this storm on Sunday: a parent low over the Great Lakes, and a new low that forms off the coast of Delaware.
As the new low strengthens, snow showers will start up in Maine. The first place to see flakes fly will be Kittery, but it will not take long for snow to begin in all of western Maine.
By sunrise on Tuesday morning, roads will already be a mess. Moderate to heavy snow bands keep moving north and east, spreading across much of Maine.
Conditions deteriorate in Bangor through the late morning. The only place to not see snow by noon is the far northern sections of Aroostook county.
Warm air becomes a player in the afternoon. As the coastal low strengthens and possibly nudges north, Expect a transition over to mix or rain for most of the coast. This is especially true east of Wiscasset, through Rockland and the Penobscot Bay to Lubec.
This mixing signal will cut down on snow totals. Elsewhere, such as along the southwestern coastline, the mixing will happen after the heaviest snow. This means that snow totals will not suffer much.
The forecast is a little less clear at this point in time. Some models are suggesting a little bit more snow to linger through Wednesday; others clear things out pretty quickly.
Given the pattern, though, I'm banking on steady snow wrapping up late Tuesday evening.
Snow showers linger through the day on Wednesday, but they will not be as impactful as the forecast snow on Tuesday.
And here it is....the snow map.
Some tweaks are likely moving forward, as a shift in the track of the low will affect where the heavy snow bands set up.
Most of this falls on Tuesday. Roads will likely be worst for the morning hours, but still not great in the evening.
A strong breeze on Tuesday also brings blowing snow into the equation. Reduced visibility and drifting snow are expected through the day.
With strong wind gusts out of the east, there could be some splashover issues and minor coastal at high tide in southwestern Maine.
The tides are not at their astronomical highs, but the prolonged duration of east and northeast wind will keep pushing water into the bays along the coast.
After this, the next storm slides through on Friday or Saturday. It could bring rain, but we'll get to that as we get closer.
Keep an eye out for Ryan's updates in the morning. We'll be getting more in depth with this forecast over the next day or so.
Otherwise, follow me on Twitter for more forecast data, @MikeSliferWX.
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