Temperatures in the Lewiston-Auburn area are expected to remain close to or just above freezing this afternoon and evening, with freezing rain expected sometime between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.
The National Weather Service in Gray estimated this area will get half an inch to three-quarters of an inch of ice during the weekend storm. Some spots could see even more.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an inch of ice in some pockets,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Kistner.
The storm is expected to last through Saturday night and Sunday, when temperautures will be in the 20s, well below freezing. There may be a break during the day Sunday.
Kistner said this ice storm differs from the infamous 1998 ice storm that caused severe icing and knocked out power to some locations for days to weeks. During that storm, a front stalled, causing freezing temperatures and rain and drizzle that lasted for days.
“That just kept adding up and adding up,” he said.
This weekend’s storm will not last that long. However, Sunday may not be the end of it.
Some coastal and southern areas, including Portland and Brunswick, could see freezing rain Monday. Some computer models show the storm out to sea by then; others show it closer to land.
“There’s still a lot of uncertainty,” Kistner said.
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