PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — After more than 4,300 Emera Maine customers lost power in eastern and northern Maine amid a late fall snow storm Tuesday, meteorologists with the National Weather Service announced that another potential storm is brewing for this weekend.
A mixed precipitation storm Tuesday brought snow, freezing rain and power outages across northern, eastern and western Maine, with snow accumulations ranging from 3 inches Down East to 8 inches in central Aroostook County, according to the NWS Caribou office.
Trained spotters and observers for the NWS reported 10.2 inches of snow in Presque Isle, 9 in Fort Fairfield, 8 in Caribou, 7.5 in Patten, 6.8 in Madawaska, 6 in Fort Kent, and 4 in Sherman.
A changeover to sub-freezing temperatures combined with strong winds Tuesday night into Wednesday led to power outages across Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscatiquis and Washington counties, with more than 4,300 customers affected, according to Emera Maine. More than 2,500 customers in Washington County and 1,500 in Aroostook County were without power as of 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to Emera Maine.
“A full slate of crews, prepared for windy conditions throughout the day, will be continuing to address downed wires and working to restore service to customers Wednesday morning,” Emera Maine said in an email notice Wednesday morning. “Motorists are asked to be watchful for black ice on roadways as a result of wet conditions and plunging temperatures.”
Meanwhile, another storm is developing for Friday, but as of Wednesday morning remains uncertain, according to Victor Nouhan, forcaster with the National Weather Service in Caribou.
It’s possible the storm could bring snow accumulation of three to six inches to northern and eastern Maine, Nouhan said. The weather models currently differ in terms of where the storm will track, with some predicting it will track east and avoid most of northern Maine, Nouhan said.
“It’s a little early, but there is potential for additional snow,” Nouhan said. “The emphasis of this storm is going to be more over central areas and Down East. There’s more uncertainty about up here in the north.”
After the cold snap of this week, the weekend’s forecast is calling for more seasonable temperatures, with daytime highs in the low 30s Saturday and high 20s Sunday.
