Snow, sleet and freezing rain are headed to Maine on Tuesday as the state braces for its fourth winter storm in just two weeks. Forecasters are also keeping an eye on a fifth storm, which will likely arrive Thursday evening and last into Friday.

The storm, at least in Portland and along the coast, is likely to produce a dangerous mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain while some inland areas – mostly in the mountains – could see anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service office in Gray.

“It’s going to be a good-sized storm with a lot of mixing along the coast,” meteorologist Michael Clair said Sunday night. He said the weather service is particularly concerned about the threat of sleet and freezing rain, which could create dangerous driving conditions Tuesday morning.

It should begin snowing Monday afternoon in Portland, but Clair cautions that the first brush of snow will be light and may end quickly. The real storm will arrive after midnight in Portland and continue snowing throughout the night before mixing with sleet and freezing rain during the day on Tuesday. The precipitation will likely stick around for most of the daylight hours before ending Tuesday night.

“While uncertainty exists with how much snow and ice will occur, it is likely that slick travel will significantly impact the morning commute on Tuesday,” the National Weather Service said in a statement posted on its website Sunday.

Wednesday’s weather pattern will offer Mainers a midweek break, with sunny skies and highs in the upper 20s forecast for Portland. But more snow is likely to return Thursday night, with the potential for snow to mix with freezing rain and sleet overnight.

“We’ve had a five-day rest,” Clair said Sunday night, referring to the Feb. 9 winter storm, which dropped 1.2 inches of snow on Portland. Portland got 2.2 inches of snow on Feb. 7 and 7.8 inches of snow on Feb. 1 and 2.

Clair said he expects the active winter weather pattern to continue.

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