Mainers were bracing Sunday for the next snowstorm due to hit the state. This time teeth-chattering temperatures will accompany the 8 to 12 inches expected to fall along the coast from early Monday through Monday night.

“Yeah, more snow!” Margaret Curtis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said Sunday evening, with more than a trace of sarcasm.

Despite the fact that Maine has experienced significant snowstorms over the past week – including Tuesday’s blizzard, which dropped 2 to 3 feet – Curtis said snowfall amounts are not approaching any records yet.

“We’ve had a lot of snow in a week, but we’re not approaching top 10 or top 15 snowfall records for one week,” Curtis said. On Friday, southern Maine was blanketed with another 6 to 7 inches of snow, although more fell elsewhere, including 21.4 inches in Eastport.

More unusual would be getting slammed with a foot of snow when the temperatures hover near 0 degrees. Monday’s high is expected to be in the single digits for many parts of Maine.

Curtis said bitter cold is not typically conducive to generating much snow; temperatures in the 20s or 30s usually result in heavier snowfalls.

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But Curtis said the air just off the coast will be much warmer – about 30 degrees – creating the conditions for heavy snowfall in coastal communities.

“The snow will be light and fluffy,” Curtis said.

Inland, snowfall will be 4 to 8 inches, according to the weather service.

For coastal areas like Portland, the snowfall will be heavy at times – a projected 1 to 2 inches per hour. Winds will increase through the afternoon Monday, with gusts of 20 to 35 mph. The snow will taper off overnight, and Maine should be clear of snow by dawn Tuesday, according to the weather service.

In Falmouth, a parking ban will be in effect from 7 a.m. Monday to noon Tuesday, the town announced Sunday.


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