Slowly but surely, drier air is taking over from south to north, drawing rain to drizzle, then drizzle to clouds and, eventually, clouds to a few breaks of sun, particularly for areas farthest south.
Snow continues to fly in Maine, changing to rain gradually along the coastline up to the Maine Turnpike as the warmth that started the day on Cape Cod with morning temperatures around 50 degrees ships north over the Gulf of Maine.
Farther inland, some Mainers from Bangor will add another half foot or more of snow Tuesday to the couple of inches that already fell, while spots from Falmouth to Cumberland to Lisbon Falls will find rain and sleet weighing down the new 10 to 12 inches already on the ground. Cleaning up the snow earlier is better and less work than waiting until later.
Elsewhere, temperatures will range from the 30s to 40s, but should certainly be sufficient for continued improvement of New England roadways.
First Night plans will call for the winter shoes for most of us with either wet or messy sidewalks depending upon the community, and we’ll dress for a brisk breeze with a light winter chill of wind chill values 25 to 30 degrees. Actual temperatures will be closer to 40 degrees with a steady southwest breeze.
The southwest wind comes ahead of an approaching cold front that will trigger some scattered snow showers and flurries New Year’s Eve between early evening and midnight, all capable of creating a slick spot or two for drivers but also likely to be scattered enough to preclude any widespread impact.
The mountains of northern and western New England will see the strongest snow bursts Tuesday evening, with the best chance for some newly snow-covered roads.
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The new air behind the passing cold front won’t be much colder, so Wednesday brings sunshine and highs in the 40s, 30s north, with another dry and bright day Thursday.
The next storm system to impact New England will be a strong one, but with the heart of the storm tracking through southern Canada, mild air and rain showers are in the forecast Friday and Saturday here at home, clearing out for a better Sunday.
A shot of more meaningful cold air remains in the exclusive First Alert 10-day forecast and very well may lead to a winter storm next Tuesday or Wednesday…we’ll keep you posted.
