CARIBOU, Maine — Parts of northern and western Maine could see up to eight inches of snow from a storm set to hit the area Friday night and Saturday.
The National Weather Service in Caribou has issued a winter weather advisory, effective 9 p.m. Friday until 1 p.m. on Saturday, indicating that heavy wet snow and mixed precipitation are expected.
The alert impacts the western part of Maine, along with Aroostook, northern Somerset, and Piscataquis counties.
Mal Walker, meteorologist at the NWS, said that a low pressure system is heading to the region and will approach from the south on Friday evening, before moving to the northeast on Saturday.
Total snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches, with localized amounts up to 8 inches at higher elevations, are expected in northwestern Aroostook, northern Somerset, northern Piscataquis and central Piscataquis counties, according to the weather service.
Northeastern Aroostook and northern Penobscot counties are expected to see snow and mixed precipitation, with snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches.
Snow is expected to begin after midnight and continue throughout Saturday with wind gusts as high as 21 miles per hour.
Motorists should anticipate slippery roads and reduced visibility at times.
The advisory is effective until 1 p.m. based on when the bulk of the snow will fall, but snow likely will continue through the afternoon, Rich Norton, meteorologist at the NWS in Caribou, said Friday.
“The bulk of the snow will fall before 8 a.m. Saturday,” he explained. “We could get another 1 to 2 inches during Saturday afternoon, but the warning ends at 1 p.m. based on the bulk of the snow.”
Parts of the state already received a significant accumulation of snowfall last month. Snow wreaked havoc on drivers across northern and coastal Maine on Oct. 24, with up to 10 inches of snow recorded in some parts of Aroostook County, according to statistics from the weather service.
In The County, Merrill received the most snow, 10 inches, while Dyer Brook had 9 inches and Ludlow had 8.5 inches that day. The 2 inches of snow registered in Caribou broke the previous record for that date in 1981 of 1.3 inches.
