The weekend is shaping up to be an unsettled one with a sizable amount of rain, wind and near record warmth to end it.

This afternoon we find sunshine across the area along with melting temperatures. The nice afternoon will continue into the evening. It’s a nice time to take a walk or do some cross country skiing in areas with enough snow.

Briefly Icy
Overnight there’s a slight chance of incredibly light, almost unnoticeable freezing drizzle or snow. The only reason I even mention it is because some of you could have slick walkways Saturday morning so just give it a quick check before you step out. It’s not out of the questions the town sanders will need to be called out in isolated spots.

You can follow more of my forecast on Twitter @growingwisdom

Before The Storm
The bulk of tomorrow is dry, cool and cloudy. We’ll have to wait until Sunday before a batch of heavy rain moves north. On Sunday a large storm system is going to pass to our west. When storms move west of New England they bring warm air north on their right side and this is where we will stand. Temperatures Sunday will surge into the 40s south and well above freezing further north. The record high in Portland is 54 for Sunday and it’s unlikely it gets that warm, but 50 degrees isn’t out of the question.

maine highs sunday

The map below shows how much above or below average temperature will be on Sunday. Notice the all the warmth over our area and the cold in the Midwest. (that cold will impact the Packers-Vikings game this weekend). Temperatures here in New England may be as much as 20 degrees above average.

sunday warmth 12142d1

The weather map for Sunday shows the heavy rain in place. The rain will begin early in the day and there will likely be some street flooding in poor drainage areas. While there could be some snow to start in the mountains, rain will be the main feature by the middle of the day. Winds will also be noticeable gusting over 30 miles per hour at times. Even the rumble of thunder isn’t out of the question over extreme southern areas as the storm system passes by Sunday evening.

low preserw1

I am expecting a significant rain event. It’s a good thing we don’t have lots of snow piled up on the roofs around here or we’d be facing that type of issue. The map below is an average rainfall forecast from the models. It appears likely we will all receive around an inch, but a bit more isn’t impossible in a heavier downpour. There will be somewhat less rain Down East.

maine precip1016 maine precip1016snow

Colder and drier weather returns to start the new workweek, but the overall pattern is definitely more active, so expect a changeable forecast for the next couple of weeks.


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