Wednesday, Feb. 11-Friday, Feb. 13
Low pressure will continue to move southeast out of Québec and off the Maine coast today. The low will then continue to track to the south of Nova Scotia and out into the Western Atlantic tonight. Fort Kent and surrounding locations will see snow with additional accumulations between 1 and 3 inches and locally higher amounts possible. Drivers should plan on slippery road conditions, and the hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday morning and evening commutes.
Cloudy/mostly cloudy skies today with highs in the upper 20s and an east-northeast wind 4-5 mph. Tonight, mostly cloudy skies with a chance of snow showers. Lows in the middle 10s with north wind 5-10 mph.
A strong disturbance in the upper atmosphere, currently over Newfoundland, is expected to drift westward through the end of the week before turning south into northern New England this weekend. The disturbance is expected to bring enough instability for scattered snow showers, especially across the northern Maine, including the Saint John Valley.
Thursday features partly sunny skies in the morning with diminishing clouds in the afternoon/evening. Highs in the low 20s with breezy northwest wind 10-15 mph gusting to 25 mph at times. Thursday night will be clear and cold with overnight lows in the 0 to 5 above range for most Valley locations.
Friday, high pressure at the surface brings mostly sunny skies and cold temperatures to the St. John Valley with highs in the low 20s. West wind in the 5-10 mph range with gusts to 25 mph possible. Skies become partly cloudy Friday night with lows falling to around 5 above. A chance of snow showers develops overnight. West wind 0-7 mph expected Friday night.
Saturday, Feb. 14-Tuesday, Feb. 17
An arctic cold front moves through Friday night into early Saturday, and an arctic air mass will build in on brisk northwest winds with frigid wind chills expected Saturday night. Highs Saturday in the mid-teens plummet into the minus 5 to minus 10 range Saturday night.
Arctic high pressure builds across the Valley Sunday and Monday with mostly clear to partly cloudy skies and bitterly cold conditions. Highs Sunday in the 0 to 5 above range with overnight lows in the minus 5 to minus 10 range. Monday will be a tad warmer with daytime highs in the 5 to 10 above range and overnight lows 0 to 5 below.
Conditions moderate Tuesday with mostly sunny skies and highs in the low 20s and partly cloudy skies Tuesday night with lows 5 to 10 above. An upper low will move across the Northeast Saturday into Sunday keeping a chance of snow showers across the Valley Saturday. The air mass is pretty dry, so available moisture limited, which should serve to keep precipitation amounts limited. Even so, steep temperature changes with height could allow brief, heavier snow showers to develop Saturday, reducing visibility and affecting travel. Gusty winds may also accompany these showers. High in the upper 20s expected Saturday. Mostly cloudy skies Saturday night with lows falling into the 0 to 5 above range.
A strong storm system may take shape over the southeastern United States late this weekend before moving off the Carolina coast early next week. There is still considerable uncertainty about exactly where this system will track with the American and Canadian models moving it off the Southeast and out to sea. However, the European model tracks it further northeast and close enough to bring impacts to the area. So, the late weekend weather will be dependent on which of the models proves most accurate.
At present, Sunday looks mostly sunny and dry with highs in the upper 20s. Skies become partly cloudy Sunday evening and mostly cloudy overnight with lows falling to near 10 above. President’s Day begins with partly sunny skies with clouds increasing later in the day. Highs reach the low 30s with mostly cloudy skies Monday night and temperatures in the mid-10s along with a slight chance of snow.
Tuesday, partly sunny skies expected as high pressure over the Mid-Atlantic builds in and the oceanic low moves away. Highs in the low 30s. Tuesday night, mostly cloudy skies with a slight chance of snow in the evening and lows falling into the mid-teens.
Daily Forecast Outlook
Today: Snow, mainly this morning. Snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches. Highs in the upper 20s. Northeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of snow near 100 percent.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered snow showers. Additional snow accumulation up to 1 inch possible. Lows around 14. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent.
Thursday: Partly sunny in the morning, then clearing. Highs in the lower 20s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear. Colder with lows around 2 above. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
Friday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 20s. West winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of snow showers in the evening, then mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers after midnight. Cold with lows around 5 above. Chance of snow 40 percent.
Saturday: Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the upper 20s.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Cold with lows zero to 5 above zero. Chance of snow 50 percent.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 20s.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy. Cold with lows around 10 above.
Washington’s Birthday: Partly sunny in the morning, then becoming mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 30s.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows 10 to 15.
Tuesday: Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 30s.
Tuesday Night: A slight chance of snow before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low in the middle teens. Chance of snow 20 percent.
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.
