Snow continues to wind down across southern and central Maine and will be over by noon in most areas.  There could still be a quick snowshower or two north of Portland and in the mountains, but the accumulating snow is over. 

Winds continue to be very gusty blowing the snow around and lowering visibility at times.  The snow is light an fluffy so although many areas reveived a foot or a bit more, it’s quite easy to move around.

The snowfall map is for the entire storm. Some areas will see their totals outside the ranges as local topography and proximity to the ocean can impact final amounts.  Some areas in the hills actually can get less snow as the mountains block the moisture on it’s way.  These snow shadows are very common in parts of Vermont.

I’ll be updating the  forecast as it changes on Twitter at @growingwisdom Please follow me there. I would appreciate if you tweeted me your snow totals this morning.

If you started driving south this morning your car thermometer would go up about 20 degrees from Bridgton to Kittery.  This huge contrast in temperature has helped enhance snowfall rates.  The cold temperatures, in the teens, are also the reason there is so much snow.  Cold air helps to make the snow much lighter and pile up very fast.

Coastal flooding

Although it is quite windy, there is not any coastal flooding concerns with this storm  Tides are not astronomically high and our winds are coming from a more northerly direction helping keep the water offshore.

Roads

Travel will be difficult today, especially this morning.  The snow stuck to the roads very well overnight and until the crews get a chance to really clear things later this morning and early afternoon your ride will be a lot slower than usual.  If you do have to travel, the later in the morning or afternoon you leave, the better conditions will become.

Overnight

It’s going to be a cold, but dry night.  Temperatures will fall into the single digits by morning and with a brisk wind it’s going to feel like mid-January.  With the amount of snow on the ground across the area, it’s going to look that way as well.

Monday

I am expecting a bright day with abundant sunshine and cold temperatures only in the teens in Portland and quite cold if you are headed skiing.  There will be a stiff wind at times making it feel even colder.

More snow

There will be another system affecting the area Tuesday afternoon and night.  A low pressure area will dive south from Canada and then reignite off our coast.  These types of systems can produce a few to several inches of snow, so I will have to closely review the models over the next day or two.  I would plan on a messy homebound commute Tuesday the way it’s looking right now.  Again, this isn’t a major storm, but enough to foul up the drive.

Cold midweek, but milder finish

The deep freeze continues into Wednesday when highs will still stay in the 20s for afternoon highs.  The good news is temperatures will warm towards and into the 30s for Friday and some areas could even see 40F.  This time of the year the sun is very weak and the only way we really melt snow quickly is with a mild rain.  For those of you already tired of this winter, you may have to wait a bit to see bare ground or take a trip to the Cape for some winter golf.

 

Weekend garden tip The video is from a few years back, but the tips on caring for a living Christmas tree are the same. Enjoy.

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