Wednesday, April 15-Friday, April 17
The Saint John Valley will remain on the northern periphery of a broad area of high pressure aloft over the eastern United States through the end of the week. At the surface, a frontal boundary will remain nearly stationary across southern New England, allowing weak areas of low pressure to track along it and bring periods of unsettled weather to the region.
For today, mostly cloudy skies are expected with areas of patchy fog and drizzle during the morning hours, followed by a chance of light rain this afternoon. High temperatures will reach the lower 50s with light northeast winds becoming southeast later in the day. Tonight will remain mostly cloudy with a continued chance of rain and areas of fog developing after midnight. Overnight lows will fall into the lower 40s with light southeast winds.
On Thursday, patchy morning fog will give way to widespread cloud cover and a greater likelihood of rain as another weak disturbance approaches. Highs will again reach the lower 50s with light southeast winds. Rain chances will continue into Thursday night, although coverage will become more scattered. Patchy fog is expected overnight with lows in the upper 30s as winds shift from southeast to northeast.
By Friday, conditions will begin to gradually improve. Morning fog and a lingering chance of light rain will give way to partial sunshine by the afternoon, although a slight chance of showers may persist. High temperatures will rise into the mid-50s with light north winds. Friday night will feature partly cloudy skies with areas of patchy fog developing once again and lows settling into the mid-30s.
Overall, rainfall through this period will be light, with amounts generally up to one quarter of an inch across the Valley, as weak systems continue to move along the stalled frontal boundary to the south.
Saturday, April 18-Tuesday, April 21
Partly sunny skies are expected across the Saint John Valley on Saturday, with highs reaching the upper 50s. Clouds will increase Saturday night as the next system begins to approach, bringing a chance of rain after midnight and lows in the mid-40s.
This system will move into the region Sunday into Sunday night, resulting in mostly cloudy skies and increasing chances for rain. A chance of rain Sunday morning will transition to more widespread rainfall by the afternoon, with highs in the mid-50s. Rainfall amounts of a quarter to a half-inch are expected. Sunday night will remain mostly cloudy with rain likely during the evening, possibly mixing with snow as colder air moves in. Overnight lows will fall into the upper 20s.
There remains considerable uncertainty regarding precipitation types Sunday night into Monday, as forecast models vary on near-surface temperatures. On Monday, a chance of rain during the morning may mix with or change to snow showers, with partly sunny skies developing later in the day. It will be much cooler, with highs only reaching the upper 30s. Monday night will turn partly cloudy and cold, with lows around 20 degrees.
By Tuesday, mostly sunny conditions are expected with highs in the lower 40s. Tuesday night will feature partly cloudy skies with a slight chance of rain or snow showers and lows near the upper 20s.
The combination of this rainfall and continued melting of the remaining snowpack across far northern areas will lead to gradual rises on area rivers, bringing flows to near or slightly above typical levels for this time of year. Despite these increases, river flooding is not anticipated. River ice has cleared from most waterways except for the Allagash and Saint John Rivers, where ice movement continues but is not currently causing any significant issues.
Daily Forecast
Today: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog this morning. Patchy drizzle this morning, then a chance of rain this afternoon. Highs in the lower 50s. Northeast winds around 5 mph, becoming southeast this afternoon. Chance of rain 40%.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of rain. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the lower 40s. Southeast winds around 5 mph.
Thursday: Patchy fog in the morning. Rain likely. Highs in the lower 50s. Southeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of rain. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 30s. Southeast winds around 5 mph, becoming northeast after midnight.
Friday: Patchy fog in the morning. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning, then partly sunny with a slight chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the mid-50s. North winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the mid 30s.
Saturday: Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the mid-40s. Chance of rain 50%.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid-50s. Chance of rain 70%.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. Rain and snow likely, mainly in the evening. Much cooler with lows in the upper 20s. Chance of precipitation 60%.
Monday: A chance of rain in the morning. Partly sunny with a chance of snow. Much cooler with highs in the upper 30s. Chance of precipitation 50%.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Cold with lows around 20.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s.
Tuesday Night: A slight chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low in the upper 20s. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Weather Notice: The weekly forecast, by UMFK Professor Joseph E. Becker, is 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.
