St. John Valley Weather, April 3-9, 2024

Joseph E. Becker, Special to The County
4 weeks ago

3-day Outlook: Wednesday, April 3 – Friday, April 5

The National Weather Service in Caribou has issued a Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 8 a.m. April 4 until 8 a.m. April 5.

Snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 2 and 10 inches, with the lowest amounts in far Northeast Aroostook from Presque Isle northeast toward Madawaska. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph. Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday evening and Friday morning commutes. Gusty winds and increasingly wet snowfall could bring down tree branches.

Mostly sunny skies this morning are expected to become partly cloudy/partly sunny this afternoon. with cloudy skies across the Saint John Valley by Thursday morning as low pressure approaches from the southwest. A gusty east wind is expected today and tonight into Thursday morning before shifting to the northeast Thursday afternoon through Friday night.

Snow is expected to overspread the Valley Thursday morning and continue through the day before mixing with rain Thursday night into Friday. Currently, around 1-2 inches is possible in the Madawaska/St. David area with 3-4 inches possible in Fort Kent and vicinity. For St. Francis/the Allagash/Dickey, snowfall totals may reach the 6-8 inch range. Caribou and Presque Isle look to receive around 2-3 inches.The strength and track of the low will determine ultimate snowfall amounts, and given the time of year, these may tend to be locally variable. Snow is expected to continue overnight into Saturday before tapering off.

Apex Wx Daily Summary

Today: Mostly cloudy with a 10 percent chance for precipitation. High around 43. East wind 10-11 mph in the morning increasing to 10-15 mph in the afternoon with gusts in the 20-25 mph range.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 10 percent chance for a snow after midnight. Low near 25. East wind 12-16 mph gusting 25-28 mph. 

Thursday: Cloudy and windy with an 80 percent chance for snow mixing with rain after midnight. Snowfall accumulations around 1-inch. High around 34. East wind 15-20 mph with gusts around 25-30 mph.

Thursday night: Mostly cloudy with a 90 percent chance for snow mixing with rain. Around 1-3 inches snowfall possible. Low near 32. Northeast wind 14-16 mph gusting 25-30 mph. 

Friday: Mostly cloudy with a 90 percent chance for snow mixing with rain. High around 38. Northeast wind 14-17 mph gusting into the 25-30 mph range.

Friday night: Mostly cloudy with a 60 percent chance for snow. Low near 31. Northeast wind 8-14 mph.

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4- to 7-day Outlook: Saturday, April 6 – Tuesday, April 9

Snow Saturday morning tapers to rain/snow showers Saturday afternoon before ending. Partly cloudy skies develop Saturday night as high pressure builds into the Saint John Valley with mostly sunny skies Sunday and clear skies Sunday night. A dry backdoor cold front from the northeast is expected to cross the region Sunday night into Monday, and this front may produce some degree of clouds across the area, but currently, mostly sunny skies are expected for the total solar eclipse Monday afternoon. Mostly clear skies continue Monday night and Tuesday.

Apex Wx Daily Summary

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance for snow showers in the morning mixing with rain showers in the afternoon before ending. High around 39. North wind 8-14 mph.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy with a 5 percent chance for precipitation. Low near 25. North wind 0-7 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny with a high around 50. North wind 0-7 mph.

Sunday night: Mostly clear with a low near 28. Northwest wind 0-7 mph.

Monday: Eclipse Information
Mostly sunny skies with a high around 50. Northwest wind 0-7 mph.

Monday night: Mostly clear with a low near 24. Northwest wind 0-7 mph.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny with a high around 51. Northwest wind 0-7 mph.

Tuesday night: Mostly clear with a low near 24. Northwest wind 0-7 mph.

8- to 14-day Regional Climate Trends: Tuesday, April 9 – Monday, April 15 

Above normal temperatures / Near normal precipitation

Note: Computer model precision diminishes the further into the week the forecast projects. Check The County.me or the National Weather Service Caribou, ME at for weather updates with more current information for the Saint John Valley.

The Week Ahead is the work of UMFK Professor Joseph E. Becker based on personal weather station data, various computer forecast models, and information that the National Weather Service, NOAA, and other weather resources provide.