Bundle up!

Some of the coldest air in the past few years is coming to Maine this week.

Seriously…

Portland has not been colder than -5°F in almost four years. I think that changes on Wednesday morning.

Let’s talk about how we get there.

An Arctic front will pass on Monday. Behind it, the core of the cold air ends up centered right over New England.

I know, I know…it’s Maine, we should be used to this.

Counterpoint: This is the type of cold that will cause pipes to freeze. Animals will have to be brought inside. Warming shelters will likely have to be opened so people have a safe place to go.

A few snow squalls may pass through along with the front. This is what really allows the cold air to settle in.

Temperatures will drop from the teens and 20s Monday afternoon into the low single digits shortly after sunset Monday.

By Tuesday morning, air temperatures will be near and below zero everywhere.

Add in the gusty northwest wind, and wind chills really plummet.

The coldest will be over the mountains, where wind chill values may drop as low as -40°F at times.

Wind chills will stay well below zero all day.

High temperatures themselves will also be quite cold, with most only ending up in the single digits.

Wednesday morning looks even colder, but thankfully with a bit less wind.

These are actual air temperatures.

Reminder: In Portland, the last time it was -5°F or lower was almost four years ago.

This is brutal cold.

Stay safe, have a place to get warm, and keep a close eye on pets! Seriously. Even dogs should not be out longer than they absolutely need to in this kind of cold.

Sea smoke is certainly possible, if not expected, on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I know we have some photographers reading this…charge up those batteries.

On the bright side, Wednesday afternoon will warm up to a balmy 25-30°. This is pretty short-lived, all things considered.

Keep an eye out for a few flurries in the afternoon. I think impacts will be pretty low from this.

It’s quiet on Thursday with a few flurries, but attention shifts to some storms brewing near the Great Lakes.

With more low pressure around, storm chances for Friday and the weekend will increase. We’ll be watching to see if more snow works its way through.

– Mike Slifer, @MikeSliferWX

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