Storm departs, another on the way for Saturday

 A quick personal update here before I get into the discussion. I am going to take a break here over the weekend as my wife and I will head out of town to celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary, a month late. We wanted to do this trip back in the end of September, but it did not work out for us to get away. Now we have the opportunity, so we will be going to Camden for a few days, and I am excited to go. 

I am close to running out of gas at this point. Sleep has been short over the past few days while tracking this current storm. I do this along with my day job in Portland. Both are demanding at times, and I am doing all I can here to take care of both ends, as well being a husband and father. 

I will provide some sort of an update on the weekend storm either here, Facebook and/or Twitter (links below) but it will be brief and to the point on Thursday.

Thank you for your financial and moral support. It means a lot to me that I have an audience that appreciates what I do which continues to grow steadily over time.  You are why I get out of bed between 2-3 AM to do this and have done so for nearly 10 years.

Sun north, rain for the coast,
​and some wind for all Wednesday

Coastal areas can look to the north and west with some shades of envy today as the mountain and north enjoy a mix of sun and clouds. There is a remote chance the sun may peek out towards sunset over southern areas as the current storm moves to the southeast, but that is the only hope for rays along the coastal plain. 

Wednesday 6 AM - Thursday Midnight: Wind will continue to be an issue. The good news is the storm has reached peak intensity and is beginning to occlude (slowly weaken). The bad news is it is stuck in a block and won't move too far until later in the day. Wind gusts in the 20-30 mph range are likely for most of the state today, shorelines and islands may see gusts to 40. I can't rule out spotty power outages through the day. It appears to be Thursday afternoon before wind dials down. 

Wednesday 6 AM - Thursday Midnight: Areas of showers, drizzle and fog appear to continue through the day for the coastal plain. As the storm drifts to the southwest, rainfall tapers down somewhat, but as the storm moves eastward in the afternoon, MidCoast and DownEast areas may see precipitation increase again as the storm departs Wednesday evening. 

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Outlook through the weekend

A look at the big picture shows the players in our weather through the upcoming weekend. As the nor' easter departs, high pressure pays a visit for Thursday and Friday. A warm front with a tropical hose works into the region for Saturday and Saturday night.

Wednesday 2 AM - Sunday 8 PM: The storm over the Midwest forms along a frontal boundary and rapidly intensifies Wednesday night into Thursday morning. While the parent low weakens as it moves east, there appears to be plenty of ample energy taping into moisture from the tropics that will bring another windswept soaker to the northeast Friday into Saturday. Upper-level divergence from the jet stream will help amplify the storm, which with tropical influence brings a concern for heavy rain. 

The storm appears to be a quick mover, but it will dump rain. Wind direction on this one is more to the south / southeast, which hauls in more moisture off the water. Eastern facing mountain slopes should do well with this storm and help take an edge off the drought going on there. With the recent rain over the coastal plain, time will tell about a flood threat. With the rapid fall of rain, localized flash flooding and potential urban street flooding appear to be a possibility.

The storm departs on Sunday. Mountain showers are possible in its wake and appears to be a mix of sun and clouds with light wind for the rest of the state as it appears now. 

On a foot note, there is a threat for frost in areas Friday morning.

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Winter SKYWARN Training Sessions

The National Weather Service Gray office is presenting winter SKYWARN training classes over the next few weeks. Do you have an interest to learn more about winter weather? This is your opportunity. When you watch local weather on TV and see information passed along for town reports, chances are good that it came from a trained SKYWARN weather spotter. The sessions are filled with information to accurately report winter related weather phenomena. 

These sessions are for those in western and southern Maine in the Gray office coverage area.

CLICK HERE for the direct link to register. For more information, email Donald Dumont at the address above. 

As you can see below, winter is coming. It looks good that the mountains may have snow by Thanksgiving. 

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Be prepared to receive alerts and stay updated!

BE PREPARED WITH A NOAA Weather Radio.
​
​For $20-$40, it could provide vital information to you when you need it. The weather bands are standard on most public safety scanners, and newer scanner models. Weather radios can be programmed for auto alert. Click here for more information.

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​​​​► ► For the latest official forecasts, bulletins, and advisories, please check in with the National Weather Service in Gray for western and southern areas, or Caribou for northern and eastern parts of Maine.

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Stay updated, stay on alert, and stay safe!

​- Mike