AUGUSTA — Only days after rainfall across the region brought minor flooding to low-lying areas along the Kennebec River, a storm arriving late Saturday is expected to bring more rain, with snow and wind.

“This is kind of a multifaceted-type thing,” Jerry Combs, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said Friday.

As the weather system moves into the region Sunday night, it’s expected to start as snow before turning to rain.

In the Augusta area, up to 3 inches of snow is expected, but farther west and north in Kennebec County, that total could reach 5 inches based on forecasts Friday.

In Somerset County, more snow accumulation is expected, with 6 inches to 8 inches expected across the southern parts of the county, and possibly more than 12 inches may fall across the northern part of the county. A winter storm watch has been posted for Saturday evening through late Sunday night.

“It’s expected to be the heavier, wet variety,” Combs said. “As the night goes on, winds are probably going to pick up Sunday morning and afternoon, with gusts of 35 mph or 45 mph or so.”

At some point during the day Sunday, the snow is expected to turn to rain and how quickly that will happen is not yet clear before it comes to an end.

“With the heavier, wet snow, there could be some power outages, but if it stays rain longer, we have to worry about the flooding aspect of things,” he said.

This week, the state’s River Flow Advisory Commission held its first meeting of the season. It was formed after the spring floods of 1983 to improve the exchange of information of hydrologic conditions among state, federal and private sector agencies. It reviews data and provides information to affected agencies and the public.

It noted that while more snow is expected, spring melt season is underway across most of the state, with no expected gain to the snowpack from the foothills to the coastal plain.

Maine is currently at below normal risk for flooding because of the lack of snow this winter. The National Weather Service offices in Gray and Caribou are reporting that snowfall is 2 feet below normal for this time of year.

With the weekend storm, Combs said, some rises are expected on the Kennebec River, but how much depends on the rain/snow mix.

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