NWS Caribou, Maine Area Forecast Discussion
837
FXUS61 KCAR 010759
AFDCAR
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Caribou ME
259 AM EST Sun Mar 1 2026
.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
3am update...
Arctic front has become hung up over interior Downeast,
therefore have issued a Dense Fog Advisory for coastal Downeast
and central Washington County early this morning. Dense freezing
fog will likely lead to slipper road conditions on untreated
and elevated roads as temperatures are falling below freezing
over the area.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Cold temperatures tonight will combine with northwesterly
winds to produce apparent temperatures as low as 30 below zero
over portions of the North Woods late tonight. Take extra
precautions and bundle up late tonight and be sure to bring pets
inside.
2) A small low tracking off the coast may bring a period of snow to
Downeast Maine Tuesday night. This could impact the Wednesday
morning commute with some snow covered and slippery roads.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...Cold temperatures tonight will combine with northwesterly
winds to produce apparent temperatures as low as 30 below zero
over portions of the North Woods late tonight. Take extra
precautions and bundle up late tonight and be sure to bring pets
inside.
KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION...
Arctic front is currently crossing Downeast and will be
offshore by sunrise. Cold air will continue to funnel into the
region today with temps over the far north rebounding to near
10 degrees late this morning before falling. Further south temps
will top out in the mid-upr 20s. Variable clouds expected this
afternoon with most areas becoming mostly sunny just before
sunset. However, with nw winds gusting to between 20-25 mph this
afternoon wind chill temperatures will remain below zero over
the north.
As temps drop rapidly under clear skies tonight expect mins
will drop to between minus 15 to minus 20 over the North Woods.
This will lead to apparent temperatures below minus 25 from
just after midnight through daybreak. A Cold Weather Advisory
has been issued for nw Aroostook and nrn Somerset County late
tonight into Monday morning.
KEY MESSAGE 2...A small low tracking off the coast may bring a
period of snow to Downeast Maine Tuesday night. This could impact
the Wednesday morning commute with some snow covered and slippery
roads.
KEY MESSAGE 2 DESCRIPTION...
A weak and shallow wave of low pressure is expected to track across
Southern New England Tuesday evening and then continue along the
Southern Gulf of Maine overnight Tuesday night. This has the
potential to bring a couple inches of snow to Downeast Maine
overnight. Forecast models are currently not in good agreement on
the track of this low with the NAM taking the low further south and
missing the coast entirely while the GFS and ECMWF brush the
Downeast region with a period of light snow bringing a chance for a
small accumulation. Temperatures look marginal along the immediate
coast where some rain may mix in. Any snow could result in some
slippery, slushy and snow covered roads early Wednesday morning
impacting the morning commute. Roads will likely be just wet by late
morning with temperatures rising above freezing.
&&
.AVIATION /07Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
Today...Mainly VFR today and tonight. Exception will be an hour
or two of MVFR cigs between 06-08z at FVE, CAR and PQI.
BHB will experience LIFR in FG ahead of cold front for the first
hour of TAF valid time before rapidly improving to VFR. Light
snow moves into Downeast terminals with unrestricted vsbys after
14z this morning before exiting terminals by 21z this afternoon.
NW winds gusting 15-20kts this afternoon expected to diminish
this evening.
Tonight...VFR. WNW 5kts.
Monday...VFR. W 5-10kts.
Monday night...VFR, possibly lowering to MVFR over the far north
late. SW wind around 5 kt.
Tuesday...MVFR over the far north. VFR elsewhere. SW wind 10 to 15
kt.
Tuesday night...VFR, possibly lowering to MVFR and then IFR along
the coast. Light and variable wind.
Wednesday...MVFR Downeast becoming VFR. VFR elsewhere. W wind around
5 kt.
Wednesday night...VFR lowering to IFR south and MVFR north. SW wind
around 5 kt.
Thursday...VFR north. IFR becoming MVFR and possibly VFR south. N
wind 5 to 10 kt.
&&
.MARINE...
SCA in effect through tonight with winds NNW winds gusting to
25kts. Winds and seas will drop below small craft levels through
Monday. Moderate freezing spray develops late this evening
through Monday afternoon with a Freezing Spray Advisory in
effect for all waters.
SW winds will increase to SCA Monday night then gale on Tuesday.
Winds will drop back to SCA then below SCA Tuesday night. Another
SCA may be needed Thursday night into Friday. Seas will be up to 8
ft Tuesday night subsiding to 4 to 5 ft Wednesday. Seas may build
back up to 6 ft Thursday into Thursday night then drop back to 5 ft
on Friday.
&&
.CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ME...Cold Weather Advisory from 1 AM to 7 AM EST Monday for MEZ001-
003.
Dense Fog Advisory until 7 AM EST this morning for MEZ017-029-
030.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 7 AM EST Monday for ANZ050>052.
Freezing Spray Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 1 PM EST
Monday for ANZ050>052.
&&
$$
DISCUSSION...MB/21
AVIATION...MB/21
MARINE...MB/21
NWS CAR Office Area Forecast Discussion
