Press Herald - As Maine prepares for a white Christmas, communities and state agencies are bracing for the winter weather that’s expected to blanket the state in at least 3 inches of snow, with up to a foot forecast in some places.
A low-pressure system will bring snow to Maine starting Tuesday afternoon and lasting until Wednesday morning. The most snow is expected to fall in the Midcoast, which could see more than 9 inches of snow, meteorologist Jon Palmer said Tuesday morning from the National Weather Service’s office in Gray.
The highest forecasted snowfall totals are in Bath, Belfast, Brunswick and Rockland, which should expect between 9 to 12 inches, Palmer said.
Portland, which is on the “southern fringe” of the weather system, could see between 5 to 8 inches of snow. Palmer said those amounts may vary across the city, with the peninsula receiving around 5 inches and the Portland International Jetport expecting about 8 inches.
In central Maine, Augusta and Waterville may receive between 5 and 8 inches of snow. Auburn and Lewiston are expected to get between 6 and 10 inches, while most of the rest of the state could see between 3 to 6 inches, Palmer said.
Snow will arrive throughout Tuesday afternoon and may be mixed with some rain along Portland’s peninsula, Palmer said. Snowfall will continue through the overnight hours and is expected to be the heaviest between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday.