The overnight hours on Thurs. are forecast to bring a mix of ice and rain to Lincoln County, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), which has issued several alerts for what forecasters have described as a “dangerous winter storm”. The latest forecasts indicate that Lincoln County may fare better than some neighboring areas – with the possibility of more rain and less ice – especially for the coastal areas and peninsulas.
However, the storm track and the corresponding temperatures continue to be highly variable, and the NWS, the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency and the Brunswick Chapter of the Red Cross are still warning that residents should be prepared. (See links below.) A Winter Storm Advisory and a Coastal Flood Watch remain in effect through Fri., according to the NWS.
Of particular note for Lincoln County residents is that most of the storm won’t be arriving until late Thurs. night and early Fri. morning. The leading edges of freezing rain were first being reported in Damariscotta just after 5 p.m., and the storm line stretches as far south as Georgia with the bulk of precipitation moving northeast through the mid Atlantic states.
The NWS Winter Storm Advisory remains in effect until Fri. at 1 p.m., but already some local broadcast forecasters are calling for the possibility that the storm may affect Lincoln County into the late afternoon.
The NWS forecast calls for a total ice accretion of ¼ to ½ an inch in Lincoln County.
Storm related closings and delays are available to readers of The Lincoln County News website through special arrangement with WCSH channel 6, just click on the WCSH box on our home page.
The Coastal Flood Watch is in effect for Fri. morning when the full moon and storm surge are forecast to create the possibility of hazardous high tide conditions. High tide in Wiscasset is forecast for 10:09 a.m. at a height of 11.8 feet, according to maineharbors.com. The storm surge could add another foot of height to that tide, according to the NWS.
The Lincoln County News website will continue to monitor the progress of this storm and post additional information here as soon as it becomes available.