The storm descending on Maine beginning Wednesday could deliver a devastating blow.
The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for most of the state. It will remain in place from 7 p.m. Wednesday through 7 a.m. Thursday.
The storm will deliver south winds blowing at a steady 25 to 35 mph, with gusts reaching up to 60 mph.
“Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles,” the weather service said in an advisory.
In Greater Bangor, winds could reach up to 50-55 mph, with gusts reaching up to 55-60 mph in Ellsworth and 60-65 mph in Bar Harbor, according to the weather service office in Caribou. Winds are expected to top out at 45-50 mph from Machias to Eastport.
Farther north, winds are forecast to reach maximum gusts of 50-55 mph from Presque Isle to Van Buren.
Those winds will be accompanied by heavy rain. Greater Bangor is expected to see as much as 1.5-2 inches of rain, with similar totals for Ellsworth, Bar Harbor, Fort Kent, Van Buren, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton, according to the weather service.
That rainfall will be heavier toward the highlands, where 2-3 inches are forecast for Greenville, Dover-Foxcroft, Lincoln and Millinocket. Three to 4 inches could fall around Katahdin, according to the Caribou weather station.
Meanwhile, temperatures are expected to rise into the 50s Wednesday. The warmup, along with the rain, will melt the snow from the recent storms, which have dropped the most snow seen in Bangor since 2019. The weather service warns that this combination could produce flooding across the state, as well as potentially widespread power outages.
This storm system is being fueled by an “atmospheric river,” a trail of water vapor being carried north from the tropics. The Associated Press reported that this storm could produce a “bomb cyclone,” which could deliver severe rainfall.
Despite the combination of high winds, heavy rain and warm temperatures, the Maine Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday that this storm isn’t expected to produce the flooding and damage seen during last December’s wind storm.
