Tuesday, Dec. 23, through Christmas Day
High pressure will bring a quiet but cold day today, with partly cloudy skies this morning and increasing clouds from the southwest this afternoon. Highs for most County locations in the mid-10s above today.
Snow will arrive late tonight as a storm system shifts east and a narrow band of snow sets up near the coast. The Midcoast has the best chance for moderate to heavy snowfall, with amounts dropping off quickly farther northeast due to high pressure over eastern Canada. The exact placement of this snow band is still uncertain, which will determine how far north heavier snow reaches. Hazardous travel is expected overnight, especially along I-95 southwest of Bangor, with poor visibility at times. Overnight lows around 10 above.
Snow will taper off late Wednesday morning with mostly cloudy skies to start the day and partly sunny conditions in the afternoon with highs topping out in the middle 10s. Christmas Eve will feature mostly cloudy skies, making Rudolph’s shiny red nose very helpful, with temperatures dipping to about 5 above, which is comfortable for Santa and his helpers traveling through the Valley. Temperatures will then warm up a bit to near 10.
A cold front Christmas Day will bring brief snow showers and sharply colder air, with strong winds and dangerous wind chills by Friday morning. Highs will top out in the upper 10s. Clouds thin Thursday night with lows around 5 degrees overnight.
Friday, Dec. 26, through Monday, Dec. 29
High pressure will build across the Valley Friday with mostly sunny skies and cold conditions with highs in the 5-to-10-degree range with bitterly cold wind chill values. Partly cloudy skies will develop in the evening with lows -5 to -10 degrees.
Quiet weather is expected Saturday as a brief break develops ahead of a stronger storm system. Partly sunny skies with highs around 10 degrees above with mostly cloudy skies Saturday night and lows dropping to around 0. Attention then turns to Sunday into Monday, when a potentially significant winter storm could affect the area.
Clouds increase Sunday with a chance of snow developing as the day progresses with highs reaching the low 20s. A developing storm over the Midwest may transfer its energy offshore and strengthen Sunday night, with snow increasingly likely for the St. John Valley with lows in the mid-10s. However, the timing and exact track of this system remain uncertain, which will affect precipitation type and impacts. Nonetheless, even with these differences, several forecasts still suggest a notable storm early next week.
Based on current information, snow is likely Monday morning with daytime highs rising to near 20 degrees then falling to the middle 10s by the afternoon. Snow looks to continue Monday night with temperatures in the lower 10s.
Daily Forecast Outlook
Today: Mostly sunny. Cold with highs around 14. West winds around 5 mph, becoming southeast this afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow in the evening, then snow likely after midnight. Snow accumulation around an inch. Not as cold. Near steady temperature around 9 above. East winds around 5 mph. Chance of snow 70 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow in the morning, then partly sunny in the afternoon. Little or no additional snow accumulation. Cold with highs around 17. Northeast winds around 5 mph, becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of snow 50 percent.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow showers after midnight. Little or no snow accumulation. Cold with lows around 5 above. Temperature rising to around 9 above after midnight. Southwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent.
Christmas Day: Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow showers, mainly in the morning. Little or no snow accumulation. Cold with highs around 19. Temperature falling to around 15 in the afternoon. West winds 5 to 10 mph, becoming northwest with gusts up to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of snow 50 percent.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow showers in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Cold with lows 5 below to zero. Chance of snow 20 percent.
Friday: Mostly sunny. Colder with highs 5 to 10 above. Wind chill values as low as 20 below.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy. Cold with lows 5 below to 10 below zero.
Saturday: Partly sunny in the morning, then clearing. Cold with highs around 10 above.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. Cold with lows around zero.
Sunday: Partly sunny in the morning, then becoming mostly cloudy. A 50 percent chance of snow. Cold with highs around 20.
Sunday Night: Snow likely. Not as cold. Near steady temperature around 15. Chance of snow 70 percent.
Monday: Snow likely, mainly in the morning. Cold with highs around 20. Temperature falling to around 15 in the afternoon. Chance of snow 70 percent.
Monday Night: Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with lows 10 to 15.
Weather Notice: The weekly forecast is by UMFK Professor Joseph E. Becker based on available computer models and data and may not reflect current conditions or later forecast updates. Check The County.me or the National Weather Service Caribou, Maine for the most recent weather information for the Saint John Valley.
