Junk storm underway ICE: The forecast remains on track for ¼ to ½” of ice for the western interior with locally higher amounts possible along the Route 5 corridor, extending eastward along Route 2 over into the Farmington area and south into Lewiston. The rest of the state can expect less than ¼” away from the shorelines, with trace amounts possible along the immediate coastline. SNOW: The far north receives the heavy wet snow, with 2-6” of fresh slop that may mix with sleet, and then gets topped off with a tenth of an inch of freezing rain. This freezes overnight, turns to cement by morning, and snow showers will continue into Tuesday. LIQUID EQUIVALENT amounts of precipitation continue to run between ¾ to 1¼” with the higher amounts south and east of the mountains. Precipitation will fall at varying intensities throughout the day, likely becoming heavier as the cold front moves into the area in the afternoon and evening. AREAS OF FOG are possible, and some of it may be of the freezing fog and freezing drizzle variety. Freezing rain is bad enough, but where freezing fog and freezing drizzle form, ice accretion increases due to still air. WIND increases from the southeast over the east and north in the afternoon with gusts of 20 to 30 mph possible through early evening. The wind picks up from the west/northwest over southern and western areas as the cold front passes through late afternoon, gradually increasing overnight into Tuesday. The speeds peak around early afternoon on Tuesday, then gradually decline overnight into Wednesday, settling by mid to late afternoon. We’re looking at roughly 36 hours of wind to contend with on the backside, and this is where the primary concern for power loss resides. FLASH FREEZE AND BLACK ICE OVERNIGHT INTO TUESDAY as temperatures fall below freezing. EXPECT ICE OVER THE INTERIOR TO HANG AROUND INDEFINITELY. I see a hint of a potential warm-up toward the middle part of January. Time will tell if that becomes reality. Let’s hope so. LOOKING AHEAD: The potential for an Arctic front enters the region on New Year’s Day. The wind may increase, and there is the potential for accumulating snow DownEast. Clipper systems are expected to continue through the first full week of January, bringing snow showers and a breeze. Time will tell if guidance changes its tune and spins up one of concern. PLEASE USE mPING to report your weather. Junk storms and radar don’t agree. Ground truth matters. Report anonymously anytime, anywhere, as long as you can do so safely. Please download the app and familiarize yourself with it so you can use it. ► https://mping.nssl.noaa.gov/  The PTW Weather Wall updates 24/7 Your financial support is needed and appreciated for 2026 |
Mike Haggett
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