A nor’easter is expected to hit Maine Wednesday night into Thursday. Strong winds and heavy rain are expected to cause power outages. Here’s what you need to know.
Rain develops between 9 p.m. and midnight Wednesday. The heaviest rain ends Thursday morning. Some showers may linger through the afternoon Thursday.
The coastal low becomes the main player overnight. Forecast strengthening of 16 mb in 12 hours is forecast 8PM to 8AM. Hang on. pic.twitter.com/w2eME03Y92
— Charlie Lopresti (@CharlieWGME) October 16, 2019
One to 3 inches of rain is expected. Higher elevations may change over to wet snow Thursday morning, but snow does not look to be a major impact.
Frequent northeast gusts 40 to 50 mph are possible 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday. Peak gusts at the coast have a shot at getting over 50 mph.
A High Wind Watch in effect from Wednesday night through Thursday morning for the Maine and New Hampshire coast.
It’s going to get loud overnight. Where have we heard this before? Timing of strongest winds is almost identical to the Oct 30th 2017 storm. pic.twitter.com/LZWggUqRZm
— Charlie Lopresti (@CharlieWGME) October 16, 2019
Damaging winds could knock down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible.
Rivers are running low, but some of the more reactive rivers like the Saco and Presumpscot may jump up to around action stage. River flooding does not look to be a major issue at this time.
A bigger problem might be leaves clogging storm drains. Lots of leaf drop is expected, therefore clogged storm drains may lead to flooding on the roads and in parking lots.
Coastal flooding does not appear to be a major concern. High tide to watch will be 1:46 a.m. Thursday. It’s running only 9.1 feet; therefore, it would take a 3-foot storm surge to bring any flooding to Portland and surrounding areas. Beach erosion and splash over is expected.
Our weather will start to improve Thursday afternoon. Winds will stay active though.
Expect mostly cloudy skies and breezy conditions Friday. The payoff will be the weekend with lots of sun and comfortable temps.