188  
FXUS61 KCAR 042357  
AFDCAR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME  
757 PM EDT SAT APR 4 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
- 7:57PM UPDATE...KCBW, KGYX AND CANADIAN DUAL POL DATA SHOWS  
AN AREA OF PRECIPITATION WORKING INTO EASTERN QUEBEC NEAR THE  
MAINE BORDER. DOPPLER RADAR INDICATING ECHOS OVER THE NORTH  
WOODS BUT BASED ON CLAYTON LAKE AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS NEAR  
THE MAINE/QUEBEC BORDER THIS PRECIP IS LIKELY VIRGA. EXPECTING  
PRECIP TO DEVELOP QUICKLY AS THE BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTENS UP  
OVER THE NEXT 1-2HRS. EXPECTING PRECIPITATION TO INCREASE  
COVERAGE AND THEREFORE MADE SOME MINOR TWEAKS TO THE POPS. ALL  
WINTER WEATHER HEADLINES REMAIN AS IS, DID SLIGHTLY TWEAK  
OVERALL QPF BASED ON LATEST HI-RES GUIDANCE. THIS DID SLIGHTLY  
ADJUST ICE/SLEET TOTALS BUT OVERALL NO WHOLESALE CHANGES.  
EXPECTING A SLICK START TO EASTER SUNDAY MORNING ACROSS ALL  
AREAS WITHIN THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. CANNOT RULE OUT SOME  
SLICK CONDITIONS BETWEEN 5-8AM ALONG THE AIRLINE (ROUTE 9)  
FROM WESLEY TO BAILEYVILLE. IF THAT DOES DEVELOP WILL HANDLE  
WITH SPS MESSAGING.  
 
- UPDATED FOR 00Z TAFS, SEE BELOW...  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1) MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL BRING SLIPPERY CONDITIONS TO AREAS NORTH  
OF BANGOR TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING. CLEAN UP WILL ONCE AGAIN BE  
DIFFICULT.  
 
2) HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON IN NORTHERN  
MAINE.  
 
3) LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE DOWNEAST TUESDAY.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL BRING SLIPPERY  
CONDITIONS TO AREAS NORTH OF BANGOR TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW  
MORNING. CLEAN UP WILL ONCE AGAIN BE DIFFICULT.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION...  
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES WILL MOVE  
TOWARD THE AREA THIS EVENING. WARM ADVECTION WILL BRING A WINTRY  
MIX TO THE AREA BEGINNING AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. SOUNDING  
PROFILES SHOWING NORTHERN AREAS WILL START OFF AS SNOW AROUND  
MIDNIGHT, WHILE CENTRAL AREAS LOOK TO BEGIN AS SLEET AS A WARM  
NOSE OF BETWEEN +5C TO +8C AROUND 800MB. VERY DEEP COLD LAYER  
LIKELY TO RESULT IN REFREEZE OF MELTED SNOWFLAKES INTO ICE  
PELLETS, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THIS WINTER SEASON.  
 
THIS COLD LAYER LOOKS TO REMAIN IN PLACE FOR APPROXIMATELY 3-5  
HOURS, HOWEVER FORECAST SOUNDINGS HAVE A VERY HARD TIME WITH THE  
VERTICAL RESOLUTION OF THE ATMOSPHERE. THUS, HAVE MENTIONED SNOW  
OVER THE NORTH, TRANSITION TO A SNOW/SLEET MIX LATE TONIGHT AND TWD  
MORNING, BEFORE BECOMING A SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN MIX AROUND  
SUNRISE AND THEN GOING OVER TO ALL SNOW LATE MORNING/EARLY  
AFTERNOON. ALL TOLD, EXPECTING UP TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW AND ONE INCH  
OF SLEET OVER NRN AROOSTOOK WITH UP TO 0.10 INCHES OF ICE.  
 
SIMILAR CONDITIONS APPLY OVER CENTRAL SECTIONS, THOUGH PRECIPITATION  
AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHTER AND THEREFORE ONLY EXPECTING UP TO ONE-HALF  
INCH OF SLEET AND UP TO 0.20 INCHES OF ICE.  
 
CLEAN UP WILL ONCE AGAIN BE VERY DIFFICULT WITH FREEZING RAIN  
FALLING ON TOP OF A LAYER OF SLEET.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON IN  
NORTHERN MAINE.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2 DESCRIPTION...  
A SHORTWAVE TROUGH BEHIND THE DEPARTING LOW COULD BRING CHANCES  
OF HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS MONDAY AFTERNOON. MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE  
BETWEEN 25-50 J/KG OF CAPE WITH NORTHWEST WINDS AT 10-20 KT THAT  
COULD PICK UP MOISTURE FROM THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. SNOW SHOWERS  
COULD BE HEAVY AT TIMES, BUT THEY WOULD BE ISOLATED AND NOT  
WIDESPREAD. THROUGHOUT THE DAY MONDAY, TEMPS COULD RISE TO  
SLIGHTLY ABOVE FREEZING WITH THE DAYTIME SUN, SO SNOW SHOWERS  
COULD CAUSE TEMPS TO DROP. WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SLICK ROADS  
AND LOWERED VISIBILITY IN THESE SHOWERS, TRAVEL COULD LOCALLY BE  
DIFFICULT.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3...LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE DOWNEAST TUESDAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3 DESCRIPTION...  
A WEAK SYSTEM MOVING EAST THROUGH THE NORTHEAST COULD GRAZE  
SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF OUR AREA WITH LIGHT PRECIPITATION ON  
TUESDAY. THERE IS STILL A FAIR AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY. THE  
MAJORITY OF SOLUTIONS FAVOR THE PRECIPITATION STAYING TO OUR  
SOUTH OR BEING TOO LIGHT TO AMOUNT TO ANYTHING, BUT A  
SIGNIFICANT MINORITY (ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF SOLUTIONS) BRING  
MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION TO PRIMARILY DOWNEAST. IF THIS HAPPENS,  
IT MOST LIKELY WOULD FALL AS SNOW OR A RAIN/SNOW MIX. CAN'T RULE  
OUT 1-3 INCHES OF SNOW DOWNEAST WITH THIS STORM ON THE HIGH END,  
THOUGH ODDS AT THIS POINT FAVOR LITTLE OR NO SNOW.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
00Z TAF UPDATE...  
 
TONIGHT..VFR, HIGH END MVFR AT FVE. RAPIDLY BECOMING MVFR/IFR  
WITH MIXED PRECIPITATION MOVING IN LATE THIS EVENING. BHB LIKELY  
TO REMAIN ALL RAIN WITH BGR -RAPL MIX. NORTHERN TERMINALS WILL  
INITIALLY SEE SNOW BEFORE MIXING WITH ICE PELLETS, SE 10-20KTS,  
GUSTING TO 30KTS. LLWS ALL TERMINALS LATE.  
 
SUNDAY...IFR/LIFR IN RAIN DOWNEAST TERMINALS WITH IFR/LIFR MIXED  
PRECIPITATION NORTH. 5-15KTS GUSTING TO 30KTS. LLWS ALL  
TERMINALS EARLY.  
 
SUNDAY NIGHT...MVFR NORTH, MAINLY VFR DOWNEAST. SW 5-15KTS  
GUSTING TO 20KTS.  
 
MONDAY: LOW VFR CEILINGS, WITH A CHANCE OF MVFR AT NORTHERN  
TERMINALS. CHANCE OF HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS AT NORTHERN TERMINALS.  
WNW WINDS AROUND 15 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 TO 30 KTS.  
 
MONDAY NIGHT: VFR, WITH A CHANCE OF MVFR AT NORTHERN TERMINALS  
IN THE EVENING. NW WINDS 5 TO 15 KTS.  
 
TUESDAY TO TUESDAY NIGHT: PERIODS OF MVFR OR IFR POSSIBLE DOWNEAST TERMINALS  
WITH POSSIBLE -SN, BUT LOW CONFIDENCE. VFR AT NORTHERN  
TERMINALS. NW WINDS AROUND 10 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KTS.  
 
WEDNESDAY: VFR STRONGLY FAVORED WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF MVFR AT  
NORTHERN TERMINALS. W WINDS AROUND 10 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KTS,  
SHIFTING TO S.  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: VFR WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF MVFR AT  
NORTHERN TERMINALS. S WINDS 10 TO 15 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KTS.  
 
THURSDAY: VFR WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF MVFR AT  
NORTHERN TERMINALS. S WINDS 10 TO 20 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KTS.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
WINDS GUST TO SMALL CRAFT LEVELS OVER THE INTRACOASTAL ZONES  
THIS EVENING AND REMAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON SUNDAY. WINDS WILL  
BE GUSTING TO GALE FORCE OVER THE OUTER WATERS AFTER MIDNIGHT  
TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS CONTINUE  
THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD AS SEAS REMAIN ELEVATED.  
 
ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS AND SEAS WILL CONTINUE INTO MONDAY  
EVENING, BEFORE CONDITIONS IMPROVE TO SUB ADVISORY LEVELS LATER  
MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. WINDS INCREASE AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT  
WITH A FRONTAL PASSAGE. AT LEAST ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS ARE  
LIKELY, WITH GALES ALSO POSSIBLE (25 PERCENT CHANCE). NEXT SHOT  
AT GALES IS THURSDAY, WITH ABOUT A 60 PERCENT CHANCE OF  
SOUTHERLY GALES.  
 

 
   
CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
ME...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON EDT  
SUNDAY FOR MEZ001-002.  
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM EDT  
SUNDAY FOR MEZ003>006-010-011-031-032.  
MARINE...GALE WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 PM EDT SUNDAY FOR  
ANZ050-051.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT SUNDAY FOR ANZ052.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...21/SM/JS/JMM  
AVIATION...21/SM/JMM  
 
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