Following the state’s first snow storm of the season and record-setting low temperatures last week, Maine can anticipate lighter snow showers and nearly as frigid temperatures in the days ahead. 

On Sunday night, a low pressure zone will likely bring 1-2 inches of snow to interior Maine north of Portland, said meteorologist Jon Palmer of the National Weather Service in Gray.

Snow squalls are possible in the Lakes Region and Oxford and Franklin counties overnight, but the snow will likely not impact the Monday morning commute, Palmer predicted. 

Two more systems mid-week will likely bring snow showers across the entire Northeast. Flakes will likely fall on Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, Palmer said, dropping a couple more inches of snow across Maine. 

“We’re looking at a lot of light snow events through the rest of the week, not really anything significant,” Palmer said. 

The low pressure system causing snow on Sunday night is forecasted to be followed by a high pressure system, with northwest winds bringing a blast of cold air to Maine. Across the state, low temperatures on Monday night will reach the single digits. The forecasted low for Portland Monday evening is 3 degrees, and minus 1 in Rangeley. 

“The breezy winds we’re looking at during the day tomorrow are going to be that movement of that cold air mass into our area,” Palmer said. 

Clear skies and a fresh snow pack on Monday night contribute to this cold, as the earth more effectively radiates the heat absorbed during the day into the atmosphere in these conditions, explained Palmer. 

Despite these very low temperatures, Palmer said it’s unlikely any records will be set like they were last week. 

The other systems bringing snow on Tuesday through Thursday will push out some of that cold air, allowing temperatures to crawl back up throughout the week.