Spring arrived Tuesday, bringing with it sunny, relatively warm weather. But it appears winter isn’t done with the state just yet.

Eric Schwibs, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said Portland could get grazed Wednesday by another nor’easter, which is expected to track far offshore from the coast of Maine.

Snow will start falling Wednesday night, but by the time people wake up Thursday morning, the storm will have ended and any accumulated snow will be melting. Schwibs said Thursday’s forecast calls for high temperatures in Portland in the low 40s.

Portland could get 3 or 4 inches of snow, while inland areas such Sebago might get 1 inch.

“Due to the angle of the sun, the pavement will be warm and the snow will melt,” Schwibs said. “You won’t need to go outside. You can actually wait it out in your house.”

While many Mainers might believe it has been a harsh winter, it really hasn’t been all that bad – at least compared to past winters.

Schwibs said 89.9 inches of snow had fallen this season in Portland as of March 20. At this time last year, Portland had recorded 83.8 inches of snowfall. And while the 2017-18 snowfall total is 34 inches above normal for this time of year, it doesn’t even come close to the all-time record.

Portland was buried under 141.5 inches of snow during the 1970-71 winter season.


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