The short break in winter-like weather in northern New England is over, with the return of cold weather starting this weekend.
Rain began falling Friday and is expected to slowly transform into freezing rain, sleet and then snow by Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will return to the teens and 20s on Sunday and Monday.
Meteorologist Tom Hawley of the weather service office in Gray said drivers should expect slippery roads Saturday, with areas from Lewiston to Fryeburg beginning to see icing as early as 6 a.m., while areas such as Portland will likely see icing by 9 a.m.
“That water is still going to be on the road, so things are going to freeze up pretty solid,” Hawley said.
The Maine Department of Transportation is urging drivers to stay off the roads if possible.
“We have some really tricky weather moving into #Maine tonight and into Saturday, with potential for icy roads. PLEASE, stay off the roads if you can,” MDOT said in a Twitter message Friday afternoon.
Hawley said the areas between the Augusta and Bangor regions will likely see the most ice, although not enough to cause power outages.
Some parts of the region had temperatures that reached the upper 40s and lower 50s this week, coming after two weeks of subfreezing weather.
The city of Portland has been calling regular parking bans in an effort to remove the snow and clear the storm drains ahead of this weekend’s storm.
Although widespread power outages are not expected in Maine, conditions could be worse in Vermont, where Green Mountain Power said it was monitoring the storm and is prepared for the possibility of outages from winds and ice.
In New Hampshire, state safety officials encouraged residents to clear drains, culverts and roofs of snow, ice and debris to prevent possible flooding and damage. There’s a flood watch in effect for southern counties through Saturday morning. Emergency Management Director Perry Plummer advised anyone living near flood-prone areas to check with news outlets and the state’s location-specific emergency notification service for warnings for their area as the warm temperatures could cause ice jams and flooding.
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