Freezing Rain Advisory Upgraded To ICE STORM WARNING for Mid-Coast Maine

The national weather service out of Gray, Maine has upgraded the Mid-Coast Freezing Rain Advisory to a Ice Storm Warning.

SAGADAHOC-LINCOLN-KNOX-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BATH...TOPSHAM...BOOTHBAY HARBOR...
WISCASSET...WALDOBORO...CAMDEN...ROCKLAND...THOMASTON
1029 AM EST SAT DEC 21 2013

...ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAY HAS ISSUED AN ICE STORM
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY. THE FREEZING
RAIN ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS...AROUND ONE HALF OF AN INCH.

* HAZARD TYPES...FREEZING RAIN.

* TIMING...FREEZING RAIN BEGINS TODAY AND CONTINUES THROUGH
  SUNDAY NIGHT.

* IMPACTS...FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE ICE TO ACCUMULATE ON EXPOSED
  SURFACES. ROADS AND SIDEWALKS WILL BECOME VERY SLIPPERY AND MAKE
  DRIVING AND WALKING DIFFICULT. TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES WILL
  LIKELY SEE SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS. SNAPPED LIMBS WILL POSE A
  DANGER TO THOSE OUTSIDE AND COULD LEAD TO POWER OUTAGES.

* WINDS...NORTH 5 TO 10 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...AROUND 30.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN ICE STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS
WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY
DISCOURAGED. COMMERCE WILL LIKELY BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. IF YOU
MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR
VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND WINDS WILL
LIKELY LEAD TO SNAPPED POWER LINES AND FALLING TREE BRANCHES THAT
ADD TO THE DANGER.

DURING POWER OUTAGES, ONE OF THE GREATEST HAZARDS IS IMPROPER USE
OF GENERATORS. PORTABLE GENERATORS MUST GO OUTSIDE, AT LEAST
15 FEET FROM WINDOWS OR DOORS, TO AVOID LIFE-THREATENING CARBON
MONOXIDE (CO) POISONING. CO GAS CAN BE DEADLY IF IT BUILDS UP
INSIDE A HOME, GARAGE, OR BASEMENT. HAVE A CO DETECTOR WITH
BATTERY BACK-UP WHERE PEOPLE SLEEP. CHECK DETECTOR BATTERIES. DO
NOT USE GRILLS OR CAMP STOVES INDOORS. SIGNS OF CO POISONING ARE
HEADACHE, NAUSEA, VOMITING, DIZZINESS. CO CAN CAUSE LOSS OF
CONSCIOUSNESS AND DEATH. IF YOU SUSPECT CO POISONING, GET OUT OF
THE HOUSE AND CALL 911 AT ONCE.

Stay tuned as we try to keep our readers updated during this upcoming storm tonight through Sunday.