NWS Gray: Winter Storm Watch For Western Maine, Bangor West, Saturday Night-Sunday Morning

...WINTER STORM LIKELY FOR THE WEEKEND...

.LOW PRESSURE ORGANIZING OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST IS FORECAST TO
MOVE NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD NEW ENGLAND BY SATURDAY. A VERY COLD
AIR MASS OVER NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND WILL ENSURE THAT SNOW IS
LIKELY AT THE ONSET OF THE STORM. EVENTUALLY...WARM AIR ALOFT
WILL TRANSITION THAT PRECIPITATION TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN FOR
A TIME. JUST HOW QUICKLY THAT TRANSITION TAKES PLACE...AND HOW
LONG IT LASTS BEFORE TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING REMAINS
UNCERTAIN. HOWEVER...THE COMBINATION OF SNOW...SLEET...AND
FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO ADVERSELY IMPACT TRAVEL.

NORTHERN OXFORD-NORTHERN FRANKLIN-CENTRAL SOMERSET-

SOUTHERN OXFORD-SOUTHERN FRANKLIN-SOUTHERN SOMERSET-INTERIOR YORK-
INTERIOR CUMBERLAND-ANDROSCOGGIN-KENNEBEC-INTERIOR WALDO-
COASTAL YORK-COASTAL CUMBERLAND-SAGADAHOC-LINCOLN-KNOX-
COASTAL WALDO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ANDOVER...ROXBURY...UPTON...
WILSONS MILLS...COBURN GORE...RANGELEY...KINGFIELD...BINGHAM...
JACKMAN...RUMFORD...NORWAY...FRYEBURG...OXFORD...FARMINGTON...
WILTON...MADISON...SKOWHEGAN...PITTSFIELD...SANFORD...BERWICK...
NORTH WINDHAM...GORHAM...BRIDGTON...LEWISTON-AUBURN...
LIVERMORE FALLS...AUGUSTA...WATERVILLE...WINTERPORT...UNITY...
BIDDEFORD...SACO...OLD ORCHARD BEACH...KITTERY...PORTLAND...
SOUTH PORTLAND...WESTBROOK...BATH...TOPSHAM...BOOTHBAY HARBOR...
WISCASSET...WALDOBORO...CAMDEN...ROCKLAND...THOMASTON...BELFAST...
LINCOLNVILLE

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING
THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...

* HAZARD TYPES...SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING RAIN.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 4 TO 8 INCHES...ALONG
  WITH AROUND A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE.

* TIMING...SNOW IS FORECAST TO QUICKLY OVERSPREAD MAINE SATURDAY
  EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. SNOW WILL THEN MIX WITH AND CHANGE TO
  SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN SATURDAY NIGHT. BY SUNDAY MORNING...
  TEMPERATURES WILL WARM ABOVE FREEZING AND ANY REMAINING
  PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE TO RAIN.

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING RAIN
  WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION...WET
  SNOW AND GLAZE FROM FREEZING RAIN COULD LEAD TO SCATTERED
  POWER OUTAGES.

* WINDS...EAST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 20S...RISING INTO THE 30S.

* VISIBILITIES...ONE HALF MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.