winter weather

Small business could get a tax credit to build improvements that protect their properties from damaging storms.

Warm winter temperatures and a lack of snow are causing problems for organizers behind some of Maine’s public winter events- even in Aroostook County, where snow is usually reliable this time of year.

The latest storm has the potential cause coastal flooding in southern Maine, where temperatures are expected to be high enough to melt much of the snow that fell over the weekend.

Symptoms of frostbite can develop in as little as five to ten minutes.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency reports that 68 warming centers across the state will be open for residents to escape the dangerous cold and wind chills this weekend.

Maine Emergency Management Agency officials say the temperatures expected on Friday and Saturday happen only about once a decade, and urge Mainers to stay indoors.

Although it's important for safety, road salt can be harmful to streams, wildlife and drinking water supplies. It’s also a huge expense, costing Maine taxpayers roughly $150 million per year in the winter from 2019 to 2020. Towns and cities shouldered about two-thirds of those costs.

Blizzard conditions with wind gusts of 25 to even 50 miles per hour will cause whiteouts that make driving impossible. Colder temperatures after the storm mean dangerous wind chills are possible Saturday night.

According to a federal health and human services website, only about one fifth of Mainers eligible for low income heating aid are getting it.

Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday urged families to take advantage of roughly $100 million in federal funds available in Maine to winterize homes or cover heating costs. The initiatives come as Maine residents head into what could be the costliest winter in years.