This evening not much has changed with the forecast. The blizzard warning is still posted and we are expecting a major snowstorm for the area. There will be whiteout conditions developing overnight tomorrow and Tuesday and travel will become nearly impossible.

Snow fall amounts will be at least a foot in many places and approach 2 feet in some areas. The highest totals are likely to be along the coast and especially southern Maine.

Morning Blog Below

A major and potentially memorable storm is on the way for the region beginning late Monday evening and continuing through Tuesday night. The word memorable is being used because the amount of snow, wind and cold coastal flooding could, in combination, make this particular storm have high impact.

Will this storm rival some of the biggest storms Maine has ever seen? I don’t think it will, but we won’t have the full perspective on the storm’s place in history until after it’s over.

The biggest storms for southern New England are often not the biggest storms here in Maine. The upcoming nor’easter may spin slowly to our south Tuesday and keep the absolute heaviest part of the storm south of Portland and southern Maine. In the big blizzard of 1978, while Boston was experiencing one of its worst storms ever, Maine saw a more typical mid-winter snowstorm. This could again be the case with this system.

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Presently, we have a winter storm watch posted for the area, but no blizzard watches as of yet.
The snow will break out Monday night and continue through Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. The heaviest of the snow looks to fall from 11PM Monday until about 2PM on Tuesday. There will be lighter snow that continues after that throughout the afternoon.

Coastal flooding is a potential issue, but presently the worst of it looks to stay south of the area.

Prepare For The Storm
You are not going to be stuck in your house for a week, so hoarding food isn’t recommended. However, I would plan on not being able to get out on Tuesday and perhaps Wednesday morning.

Power could be an issue during the storm, especially over southern coastal Maine. The power companies will likely bring on extra crews to get us back up and running, but it might take a while in some areas. Some of you won’t lose power at all, but I always prepare for these things just in case.

Grab the cooler from the basement and have it ready to put your food. It’s going to be cold enough outside to not worry about things spoiling out there. If you have a grill, be sure to have a way to start it, it might be how you cook for a day or two. Fill up gas cans and your care, if you are out of power, so is the filling station down the road. Have a good flashlight and undo the automatic garage opener so you can manually get the door up with no power.

I also like to cook some dinners ahead of time that can be eaten cold or heated on the grill if necessary.
If you lose power you likely lose internet. You can call your cell phone company and have your phone turned into a “hot spot” if you feel like you will need internet access. After the storm is over call them back and cancel that part of your service.

Don’t freak out, it’s still just a snowstorm. Unless you own a house that is one storm away from being washed into the sea, this won’t be a life-altering event.