Heavier snow headed to Maine tonight; Tuesday commute ‘is going to be a bit of a mess’

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The winter storm that brought most of its snow to southern Maine on Monday morning is expected to reach deeper into the the state Monday evening.

An estimated 5 to 7 inches of snow is expected to accumulate in central Maine between 1 a.m. and noon on Tuesday, according to Andy Pohl, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray. The peak of the storm — a nor’easter that’s predicted to bring more than a foot of snow to southern areas of the Northeast — is set to hit the central Maine region right during the Tuesday morning rush hour, according to Pohl.

“The heaviest hours of snowfall are expected to be between 6 a.m., to 9 a..m, so the morning commute is going to be a bit of a mess,” Pohl said.

Here is what we are expecting:

TIMING AND LOCATION: A lull Monday with snow resuming in the evening through Tuesday afternoon. This round will reach farther north. We will dry up by Tuesday evening.

PARKING BANS:

Auburn: From 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday

Lewiston: from midnight to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

PRECIPITATION TYPE: All snow. At times, a wet heavy snow.

ACCUMULATION: Expect about an additional 4-7 inches in Lewiston and much of the inland counties — just a few inches in the mountains — 6-10 inches in southern York County and 6-8 inches in Portland.

WINDS: Wind gusts Monday should be in the 20-30 mph range, then a bit higher Monday night into Tuesday. Power outages are possible. Strong winds may reduce visibility in the snow.

IMPACTS: More snow will be falling during the evening commute as the second wave moves snow back northward. Then heavier snow will have a stronger impact for the Tuesday morning commute.

As the storm moves through New England, local agencies are urging Mainers to be prepared.

The Portland International Jetport says all airlines that travel to and from PWM now have travel advisories in place for Monday. The jetport is asking passengers to check with their airline for current flight information as snow is forecast to impact several of its destination airports.

Central Maine Power says it’s preparing for heavy snowfall by bringing in extra crews to stage in southern Maine.

Molly Shelly of the Morning Sentinel contributed to this report.