Brightening Skies & Falling Temperatures Today

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – Light snow and snow showers will end early this morning as low pressure leaves the area. High pressure that has built in from the west will brighten our skies throughout the day. We will also have a gusty northwest wind today with gusts up to 25-30 MPH possible. It will bring colder air into the region this afternoon. Highs today will dip into the twenties to about 20° north and 20s to near 30° elsewhere by late morning and early afternoon. Temperatures will drop as the afternoon progresses, so that by late afternoon and early evening, temperatures will be in the single digits in the north and teenagers elsewhere. The sky will be clear tonight and the wind will lighten, making for a frosty overnight. Lows will mainly drop back into the single digits below 0° for areas away from the coast, while coastal areas will settle near or just a little above 0°.

High pressure will give us a dry and cold day Wednesday with partly to mostly sunny skies and highs in the twenties to low 20s. High pressure will slide to our east on Thursday, bringing some warmer air into the region ahead of a strong cold front. We’ll see partly to mostly cloudy skies on Thursday with highs in the mid-20s to low 30s. A strong cold front will cross the state Thursday night. The pressure gradient will increase over the area in the wake of the front. This will result in gale-force northwesterly winds bringing a bitterly cold air mass into the region on Friday. High temperatures on Friday will occur early in the day with temperatures in the single digits to near 10° in the north and teenagers to near 20° elsewhere. Arctic air will flow in during the day and temperatures will drop as the day progresses. By late afternoon/early evening temperatures will be down to around 0° along the coast and between around -5° to -20° elsewhere, coldest north. The heart of the arctic air will be in place Friday night into Saturday. Strong northwest winds will continue with gusts up to 30-40 MPH Friday night into Saturday. Wind chills for Friday night through Saturday could be as low as -40° to -60° at times. Wind chills of this nature can lead to frostbite within minutes. So if you must be outside, make sure to cover as much exposed skin as possible. Despite plenty of sunshine expected on Saturday, we won’t get very hot. High temperatures on Saturday will be near or below 0°. Wind chills will likely run between -20° to -40° all day.

The coldest air we’ve seen so far this season will be on the way Friday into Saturday along with gusty northwest winds. This is the wind chill forecast for Saturday morning. Wind chills as low as -40° to -60° are expected Friday night into Saturday morning. Temperatures this cold can lead to freezing in just a matter of minutes. (WABI)

Today: Clearing skies. Highs in the teens to about 20° north and 20s to near 30° elsewhere by early afternoon, then dropping to the single numbers north and teens elsewhere by late afternoon and early evening. Northwest wind 10-15 MPH with gusts to 25-30 MPH possible.

Tonight: Clear and cool. Lows between -14° to +6°, warmest along the coast. Light north/northwest wind.

Wednesday: Partly to mostly sunny. Altitude between 16°-24°. Light and variable wind.

Thursday: Partly to mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid-20s to low 30s.

Friday: Mix of sun and clouds, windy and getting much colder. Highs in the single digits to near 10°N and tweens to near 20° elsewhere early in the day then dropping to the tweens to near -20°N and 0° to -10° closer to the coast during the afternoon.

Saturday: FIRST WARNING DAY: Mostly sunny, windy and icy. Highs near 0° along the coast, single digits and subzero teens elsewhere.