Northern Maine will likely see its first accumulation of snow Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service in Caribou.
The state’s first snowflakes were spotted Tuesday in northern Aroostook, but they didn’t stick around.
Up to 5 inches of snow is expected to accumulate Thursday night into Friday in the far north as the season’s first Arctic air arrives, dropping temperatures into the 20s, the service said. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible in the Bangor area.
A dusting of snow clings to fallen leaves early Wednesday morning in Fort Kent. It was the first snowfall in town that lasted long enough to notice and was gone before lunch. With a cold front arriving late Thursday, meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Caribou are forecasting up to five inches of snow to accumulate late Thursday into Friday in northern Maine. (Don Eno | SJVT/FhF)
The cold front and accompanying high winds of up to 40 mph could create snow squalls that cause slippery roads and reduced visibility for drivers in northern, eastern and central Maine into early Friday morning, according to the NWS.
The sun is expected to return over the weekend though temperatures will remain around freezing further north and a high of 38 forecast for the Bangor area.
Northern Maine typically sees its first snowfall in mid-October, the service said, but last month’s record-warm temperatures likely caused the delay.
The warmest October on record in Caribou, the average temperature there last month hovered just over 51 degrees, more than 8 degrees above normal, the service said.
