A record high of 60F in Portland this afternoon was a welcome change to the early cold we have experienced so far. Tomorrow is a great day for traveling, shopping and getting ready for the snow on Wednesday and into Wednesday night. If you had travel plans for Wednesday evening and area traveling into the snow area, I am recommending you move them to early Wednesday or early Thursday.
Tonight
Overnight is a mild one with lows falling to the mid to upper 40s. Winds will still be brisk.
Tuesday
Tomorrow is likely one of the nicest days we have left this entire year. Highs reach well into the 50s and we have lots of sunshine with clouds increasing during the afternoon.
Wednesday
A nor’easter will move up the coastline and bring snow and rain to the region beginning in the morning. If some areas see rain to start, they will quickly see a change to snow from west to east. Some island areas could remain rain a bit longer, but even there by evening snow will be falling.
If you are traveling during the day Wednesday the morning will see the best driving conditions. The Maine Turnpike and Interstate 295 will likely stay wet rather than white during the first few hours of precipitation, but as the sun goes down around 4PM, the roads will begin to become slippery. Secondary roads will become more difficult to travel overnight, but I am not expecting the type of storm where travel becomes impossible.
The worst time to travel will be from about 5PM Wednesday until 4AM Thursday. The storm will exit the region quickly in the early morning hours of Thursday and travel will slowly improve as road crews clear the snow.
Winter Storm Watch
There is a winter storm watch posted for much of New England. These are the areas where 6 inches of snow might fall and this watch will be upgraded to a warning if the chances of the heavy snow increase further.
Snow Totals
The map below shows snow totals for the area. This is the first accumulating map of this storm. I will be updating the map as I get new information. The snow bands can shift west or east depending on new data I get later tonight an early Tuesday. More warm air along the coast would lower amounts and if the storm moved further north then the mountains could see more snow.
Thanksgiving Day
Skies will clear, but it’s going to remain quite cold. Highs will only reach the 30s. It will look more like Christmas than Thanksgiving as you head to family and friends for the big meal. Football fields will be snow covered and if you have a road race it will be quite sloppy on many roads.
Black Friday
It’s a cold and dry day for traveling and shopping. Highs will only be in the 30s. The cold continues Saturday with a moderating trend Sunday as highs reach near 40F.
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