AUGUSTA — Meteorologists say more than a foot of snow could hit much of southern and central Maine on Saturday and Sunday.
The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch for the region, saying a system moving up the Northeast coast on Saturday night into Sunday could drop heavy snow on the region, with the heaviest accumulations coming along the coast and in southern New Hampshire. In Maine, Kennebec, Lincoln, Waldo, Knox and Androscoggin counties are expected to be affected, as well as coastal parts of Cumberland and York counties.
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Michael Cempa, a meteorologist with the weather service in Gray, said it’s too early to estimate snowfall totals, but he said there’s potential for a foot or more of snow and heavy wind. It’s expected to remain cold through the weekend, with highs of 11 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.
A blizzard watch posted Thursday afternoon predicted 12 to 16 inches of snow across central Maine.
“The combination of heavy snow, very strong winds, and an already existing deep snow pack will likely lead to blizzard conditions in some areas, especially near the coast and near the Interstate 95 corridor in Maine,” according to the alert.
More snow would fill out an already heavy snow pack. Up to 40 inches of snow are on the ground in parts of southern and central Maine, according to the weather service, and coastal areas are among the hardest-hit after a long period of cold weather and snow that has persisted since late January.
The weather service warned of possibly dangerous driving conditions Sunday.
“A blizzard watch means there is a potential for falling and/or blowing snow with strong winds and extremely poor visibilities,” according to the alert. “This can lead to whiteout conditions and make travel very dangerous.”
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