Snow, sleet, rain, and potential ice

Could be icy in spots Friday

Now that you know what the potential is for wind from my previous update, I will turn attention to the snow and rain part of this. If you see rain, you need to think ICE. Once the front passes and the wind shifts, anything liquid is going to freeze.

The HRRR model idea here shows some juiced up bands of snow, sleet and rain. Southerly wind will help warm things up for southern areas. The cut off will be roughly around Greenville, Millinocket, Houlton areas northward which appear to be in the snow/sleet mix. 

As you can see, this isn't a strong precipitation event. It boils down to what moisture it can grab off the Great Lakes and outflow brought up from the south. 

In areas where it rains, do be concerned for icing. The wind may dry up most of it since there isn't that much of it. But a little ice on roadways could be too much ice. That could happen fast, so use caution if you see rain and/or see darken roadways that could be in the process or have frozen over. 

There is a bit more snow in the map posted by the Weather Prediction Center, but not much. It may dust the roads in southern areas and DownEast, but that is about it. I still think the ski hills do alright with this one as I think this is underdone for the higher elevations. 

Adding the combination of total water in all precipitation that falls, there isn't a whole lot here. Since the air coming is in cold, that will fluff the snow up a bit. 

Just be cautious for some areas of potential ice as you travel around Friday afternoon. It won't be a nightmare to get around, but taking a safe approach is the right approach. 

​- Mike