Many areas of Wiscasset are without power at the time of this posting (9:21 p.m.) according to Central Maine Power (CMP) as high winds and heavy rainfall slammed into Lincoln County, gaining strength shortly after nightfall. Small areas of Boothbay and Dresden have also suffered power outages, according to CMP.
Light rainfall began mid-day on Sunday in Lincoln County, heralding the arrival of an overnight storm that should bring heavy rainfall, high winds and the possibility of power outages overnight, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
A Flood Watch and High Wind Warning first issued on Saturday remain in effect until Monday morning, according to the NWS.
The storm’s progress appeared deceptively mild through Sunday evening, with warmer temps and moderate rainfall in most Lincoln County areas, according to the NWS. Things began to get a bit wilder later Sunday night and will continue into early Monday morning, according to forecasters.
Sustained wind velocities should ramp up to 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 65 mph coming out of the southeast as the storm chugs into Lincoln County late Sunday night, according to the High Wind Warning issued by the NWS.
The potential of 2-4 inches of heavy rainfall will combine with snowmelt, bringing the possibility of flooding to low lying areas, streams and rivers, according to the Flood Watch issued by the NWS. Rainfall and warm temps are stretching well into the Maine mountain areas, according to radar observations, and it is this snowmelt that may help bring flooding conditions to Lincoln County. Tides are not extreme during this period and are not expected to be a major factor in any flooding, according to the NWS.
The weather affecting Lincoln County is part of a very large system, with moisture plumes feeding the storm stretching all the way down to the Bahamas. Two low-pressure systems merged over the mid-Atlantic states late on Saturday, mixing cold Canadian air coming from the northwest with moist sub-tropical air coming from the southwest, and tracking to the northeast.
A note of interest… The large weather system has “switched” prevailing weather conditions as it rotates counter-clockwise. That means that some of our neighbors in the southeast are shivering through sub-freezing low temps and the possibility of snowfall, while Mainers and their northeastern neighbors are seeing high temps in the mid 40’s on Sunday that may range into the 50’s by Monday.
The Lincoln County News website will continue to follow the progress of this event and post any additional information here as it becomes available.
