Snow will be highest in the mountains, with lower amounts for inland areas and none at the coast. Inland snow gets mostly washed away as we turn to rain. WGME graphic

A potent, fast moving storm will hit Maine on Saturday morning. Expect gusty winds, heavy rain and heavy mountain snow before quiet weather returns for the rest of the holiday weekend.

Snow is expected in the interior regions of Maine but there will be a transition to rain that will keep snowfall amounts low. But mountain areas could see 5-10 inches of snow.

The worst of the precipitation and wind will be in the 6-10 a.m. timeframe. The fast-moving nature of the storm will keep rain amounts below flood levels in the interior regions. Still, there could be some ponding and minor flooding.

Winds will be gusty, but not as bad as with previous storms. Gusts up to 50 mph are possible along the coast, which could lead to some scattered outages. Major power issues are not expected.

COASTAL FLOODING

Coastal flooding is expected around noon with the high tide. Current forecasts have levels even worse than what we saw Wednesday.

The current forecast crest in Portland of 14.1 feet would approach the all time record of 14.17 feet set in the blizzard of 1978.

Major damage is looking likely, especially since a lot of coastal dunes and protections were washed away earlier this week.

After the storm moves out, we quiet down for Sunday with a mix of sun and clouds, breezy winds, and a few snow showers and flurries. Highs will be in the mid 30s.

We turn cold next week with more sun and temperatures in the 20s Monday and into Tuesday.

Our next storm potential arrives Tuesday evening through Wednesday, and with cold temperatures in place mainly snow would be favored.