Freezing rain, ice turns to rain along coast

Mon, 04/16/2018 - 9:15am

MIDCOAST — With ice coating the sidewalks, and cold rain and winds out of the east, it is a day and night for hunkering down. Thanks to the system on the approach, the Midcoast is due for forceable weather, the kind that stabs at ocean banks, causing erosion, and filling rivers and streams with one to two inches of rain.

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Gray said this morning that Maine is confronting a "rare mid-April freezing rain event," as overrunning [weather pattern in which a relatively warm air mass is in motion above another air mass of greater density at the surface] continues above an anomalous [surface] cold wedge. So far, most roads are just wet, but the combination of freezing rain and sleet continues to cause slippery travel where road surfaces are a bit colder (like bridges, overpasses, and portions of roadways that do not get much sunlight during the day)."

A winter weather advisory continues until 3 p.m. today, except along the coast, were temperatures have warmed above freezing.

But then comes the rain and wind.

Gusts are to peak later this afternoon, and the rain to be heaviest at early afternoon into the evening hours.

"Better weather is in the cards for Tuesday, but plenty of clouds are expected with upper level low pressure overhead," according to the NWS.

For the Midcoast, one to two inches of rain heading our way. Winds gusting 30-plus and offshore, 45-plus, making for gale force conditions.

Beach erosion and splash over possible for high tides tonight.

Detailed Forecast

Today: Rain. High near 38. Windy, with an east wind 25 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight: Rain before 2 a.m., then showers, mainly between 2am and 5am. Low around 37. Windy, with an east wind 25 to 30 mph decreasing to 20 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers before 8 am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. South wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.