There is snow back in the forecast for Saturday, but temperatures are going to play a critical role in determining exactly how much snow ends up accumulating.

This is going to be one of those weather events where inland areas see up to 6 inches of snow, while the islands off the coast end up receiving an inch or two of slush.    

As the precipitation begins Saturday morning it will likely start as rain or a mix of rain and snow.  However, as the rain comes down hard, it will pull colder air from above and cool the lower levels of the atmosphere enough to bring snow, even to the coast.

There are several aspects of this upcoming weather event to notice on the maps.  First, the maps below show the type of precipitation that will fall during the middle of the storm.  Notice there is snow over most of southern Maine, but the immediate coast shows rain.  This model is not exact, but does give an idea of the rain/snow line Saturday.

Next, look at the radar map, this shows the snow and rain later Saturday around sunset. The storm will be winding down at that time south of Portland, but the snow will continue to the north.

The next image is a meteogram.  This chart shows temperatures and precipitation during the next several days. You can clearly see the cold weather coming after this weekend.

If you have plans for Saturday I don’t expect trouble on the roads until late in the morning and early afternoon.  It may be the snow is sticking on the lawns and car tops, but not on the main highways for a few hours.  After 3 PM is the most likely time for the snow to cause issues around Portland, but there will be tricky travel inland after noon.

I’ll be updating the forecast and snow totals Saturday morning.  You can also find me on Twitter @growingwisdom

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