A winter storm could dump more than a foot of snow over much of northern Maine while coating the coast with an icy mix through Friday night.The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for nearly the entire state Thursday morning into late Friday night.
“Travel could be extremely dangerous. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning and evening commute,” a weather service advisory read.
⚠️A winter storm will impact the area Thursday morning through Friday night. Snow accumulation over 12" is possible across northern Maine. Significant uncertainty still exists regarding how far north mixed precipitation will reach and decrease snow totals. #mewx pic.twitter.com/dy2A1at5lV
— NWS Caribou (@NWSCaribou) February 5, 2020
Heaviest snow accumulation was expected in Aroostook County, where up to 12 to 18 inches could fall from Madawaska in the St. John Valley to Houlton in the south and Clayton Lake in the west, the weather service’s Caribou office said Wednesday morning.
In Penobscot County, Millinocket was forecast to see up to 8 to 12 inches of snow, while Lincoln was expected to receive up to 8 inches, according to the weather service.
Greater Bangor was forecast to see 4 to 6 inches of accumulation. Snowfall was expected to taper toward the coast, where 3 to 4 inches could fall from Bar Harbor to Eastport, the weather service said.
Closer to the coast, the weather service said the Penobscot Valley and coastal Hancock and Washington counties could see up to three quarters of an inch of sleet and two-tenths of an inch of ice. It was unclear Wednesday morning how far north that mixed precipitation would extend, according to the weather service.
“Significant uncertainty still exists regarding how far north mixed precipitation will reach and decrease snow totals,” the weather service’s Caribou office said in a tweet.
Snow moves into the region beginning after midnight tonight from southwest to northeast. Snow will mix with sleet, freezing rain, and rain Thursday in southern areas but remain all snow to the north. Below is our expected storm total snowfall and ice accumulations. #mewx #nhwx pic.twitter.com/JwBJ4FupG1
— NWS Gray (@NWSGray) February 5, 2020
Elsewhere, 6 to 8 inches were forecast for Belfast, with decreasing amounts down the coast, where 4 to 6 inches of snow could fall from Rockland to Brunswick and 2 to 3 inches in Portland, the weather service’s Gray office reports.
That accumulate will increase inland, where 6 to 8 inches were expected from Lewiston-Auburn to Skowhegan, 8 to 12 inches in Rangeley and 12 to 18 inches in Jackman, according to the weather service.
Up to a tenth of an inch of ice could accumulate across the southern portion of the state, according to the weather service’s Gray office.
This story appears through a media sharing agreement with Bangor Daily News.