A winter storm is likely to dump snow, sleet and ice over much of coastal Maine making travel treacherous on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The National Weather Service office in Gray said ice and sleet were already coating some parts of Maine on Sunday night and the pattern was likely to continue throughout Monday.
“Ice accumulations could be significant over the Midcoast,” the weather service said in a Facebook post on Sunday. “Avoid traveling tomorrow if possible, and if you need to go outside, please watch your step. Surfaces could be very slick.”
The weather service issued a winter weather advisory Sunday night warning that temperatures were likely to remain at or below freezing. The forecast calls for a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain, with snow accumulations up to 3 inches in Cumberland and Androscoggin counties and other coastal areas with winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
Snow, sleet and ice will accumulate along the coast for most of the day Monday, NWS meteorologist Stephen Baron said, before the storm ends Monday night. Milder weather is forecast for Tuesday in Greater Portland. Baron said the messy conditions are being caused by an offshore storm that is “retrograding” back into Maine.
Sunday turned out to be a blustery day throughout southern Maine. The city of Sanford warned motorists that Oxford Street would be closed Sunday because of a downed tree and wires.
Wind gusts were higher than 20 mph in Sanford and other parts of southern Maine, according to Baron. Stronger winds gusts of 30 to 40 mph were reported in the Wiscasset and Rockland coastal areas.
No widespread power outages were reported Sunday, but Versant Power announced it was preparing for Monday’s storm.
“Sleet and snow combined with freezing rain are predicted to begin Downeast in Washington and Hancock counties Sunday evening and spread across the rest of our service territory Monday morning through the evening. Ice accumulation and winds are expected to be highest Downeast,” Versant said in a release.
“Ice accumulation can weigh down power lines and trees, bringing down lines and causing unsafe travel conditions and power outages,” said Stan Hartin, Versant Power’s storm manager. “We have field crews ready to respond tonight and throughout the day and night Monday.”
Maine is still recovering from a Christmas weekend storm that blew out power to thousands of Mainers. Seven Maine counties will likely qualify for federal aid to repair damage from the wind and rainstorm that knocked out power to thousands and caused extensive property damage the day before Christmas Eve.
Damage should easily exceed the $2.4 million threshold to qualify for federal assistance, said Peter Rogers, director of Maine’s Emergency Management Agency. Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Somerset, Waldo and York counties are likely to receive aid, though exact amounts have not been determined.
Staff Writer Bonnie Washuk contributed to this report.
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