A classic March New England bean supper storm There is nothing like a good church bean supper. They are usually potlucks with various beans, chili, Maine red snappers, casseroles, salads, biscuits, perhaps some corn or brown bread, and an assortment of tasty desserts. It’s tough to beat for a few bucks, the fellowship is great, and no one leaves hungry. The storm on the way is expected to bring a similar dynamic. There are winter storm warnings for the north, a flood watch for the coast, and the potential for a variety of precipitation types south of the mountains over into interior eastern areas. Are you hungry, yet? Pull up a seat and see what is on the menu! A tropical salad of moisture to work with A little bit of kiwi, a few blueberries and some orange slices with a heavy dose of strawberries make up this dish with lighter amounts of liquid equivalent to the north with more for the coast. The slow-moving, if not stalled frontal boundary offshore brings the juice up the coast. This brings the copious amount of shaved coconut to the mountains and north, a Jello salad for the interior coastal plain with the mixing of juicier items, and a pineapple smoothie for the shorelines that start as snow before it washes away. Another wet storm for the coast, which has already seen twice the normal amount of rainfall for the month, could be problematic in spots. Locally heavy downpours are possible with the moisture surge. Thankfully we’ve had a couple of decent days to dry out after the previous storm to take the edge off, but there are likely to be some issues, especially for the MidCoast and DownEast areas.  Saturday Midnight (04z) to Sunday 8 AM (12z) – The liquid equivalent in 1-hour increments here shows a manageable amount of precipitation velocity on the front side of the storm as warmer air moves in aloft. There may be some lulls at times during the day. As the surface low riding along the offshore boundary hits high gear, precipitation intensifies as a trailing cold front moves in from the west to shove all of this into the Canadian Maritimes. Precipitation ends in the wee hours of Sunday. The frozen concoction angle This system will bring great joy and enthusiasm to the taller ski hills. The forecast for the foothills on over into eastern areas gets tricky with the dump cake course moving in later Saturday afternoon into the evening with the moisture surge.  Looking at the BUFKIT profile for Rumford here, which is a vertical-view forecast of the atmosphere, shows some of the bust potential. High-ratio snow starts off bringing powder. The low-level jet begins to pick up which beats up the falling coconut flakes with water content being added to them. The warm nose may sneak in that far inland and could bring a 4-5 hour window of sleet/ice pellets which may knock down snowfall totals. As cold air on the back side of the system moves in by mid-evening, sleet changes back to snow before ending by around 3 AM.  Further up the road on Route 2 to Bangor, freezing rain is a possibility Saturday evening. The risk falls in a similar 4-5 hour window before it likely changes to snow as the storm departs. This threat may keep snowfall amounts down there, as well. There is also the slop factor with wet snow and perhaps rain and some sleet mixing in. I’ve noted the threat of thunder on here, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility, given the tropical surge and the amount of cold air around.  Saturday Midnight (04z) to Sunday 8 AM (12z)— Confidence is good that all areas start off as snow, with the coastal front moving inland as the day progresses. There are still question marks about how far inland it may get. Given the setup, short-term models like this one may be a bit aggressive with the idea. Snow is steady through the daytime with spurts of heavier amounts here and there, with potential for pasting accumulation as the storm departs. Wrapping up dinnerWith the deep cold around, wind does not appear to be much of a factor with this system. I can’t rule out some isolated power outages where wet snow accumulates on trees and power lines. Breezier conditions are expected for MidCoast and DownEast areas with a south / southeast wind flow on the front side of the storm. As the storm departs, a north / northwesterly flow takes shape, bringing cold air into the region and freezing everything up heading into Sunday morning. For snow removal, use your best judgment. After a chilly couple of days, temperatures gradually warm up mid-week. Do the bare minimum, and allow Mother Nature will take care of the rest. I do not expect any issues for the shorelines with this storm. The surf will increase heading into Sunday, but no coastal flooding is expected. 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Mike Haggett
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