GRAY — Bitter cold temperatures are returning to Maine and will likely hang around through the end of week.

James Brown, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, says temperatures are expected to dip to near or below zero throughout much of Maine Monday night. Areas in the mountains could see temperatures as low as 20 below zero.

Parts of Maine also can expect snow showers to arrive before the temperatures plunge, according to NWS forecasts.

Brown says the coldest air will arrive on Thursday and temperatures will start warming up over the weekend.

For the third time this winter, Republican Gov. Paul LePage recently signed a limited emergency allowing fuel transport and delivery truck drivers to spend extra hours on the roads to ensure that no one is left in the cold.