PORTLAND — The coldest blast of weather since 2011 in Maine is coming along with snow, high winds and near-blizzard conditions.

The National Weather Service forecast for the next 24 hours calls for a nasty winter storm.

Meteorologist John Cannon says Friday night has the possibility of temperatures plummeting to minus-35 in the mountains.

It’s so cold that the Smiling Hill Farm cross-country ski area closed for the day on Thursday. Owner Warren Knight says the extreme cold and whiteout conditions made it too dangerous for skiing or snowshoeing.

Even mariners are not immune.

There’s a freezing spray advisory for commercial fishing boats operating in the North Atlantic. Cannon says it’s so cold that fishing boats could accumulate nearly an inch of ice per hour.


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