Updated Jan. 6 at 11:12 a.m.
Warm, wet weather that moved into Lincoln County overnight Sunday is not expected to stay long as temperatures are predicted to drop and stay well below freezing for the next several days.
Melting is likely today with the National Weather Service forecasting high temperatures in the mid- to upper-40s, with most of the county expecting another quarter to half an inch of rain.
According to NWS Weather Observer Arlene Cole, of Newcastle, 1.14 inches of rain fell in the 24 hour period ending at about 4:40 p.m. Jan. 6.
Any melting from the warm temperatures today and rainfall will likely freeze back overnight and stay that way for the next few days as temperatures are expected to reach only the teens or low 20s tomorrow and highs edge up closer to 30 by Friday.
With road crews out working today and the threat of road-related freezing tonight, the Department of Transportation sent out a news release strongly encouraging motorists to “slow down and drive with caution.”
“MaineDOT crews are out in full force today dealing with frozen culverts, and cleaning drainage basins in order to prevent flooding. Motorists need to slow down as they approach ponding [sic] on roadways and give our crews the space they need to work safely,” Dale Doughty, director of maintenance and operations for the DOT, said in the release.
“Today, we are working across the state to minimize drainage problems caused by the spike in temperatures and tonight we’ll be working to de-ice the roads,” Doughty said. “As the temperatures plummet tonight, please watch out for black ice. If you don’t have to go out this evening, play it safe and stay home.”
Temperatures are predicted to drop back off to around 35 degrees by 5 p.m. and continue to drop overnight as a cold front is expected to push into the region this afternoon, bringing an end to the rain but also much colder temperatures and “very gusty westerly winds,” according to the NWS.
Already winds have shifted from around 5 miles per hour out of the northeast overnight to the south, increasing to either side 10 miles per hour sustained with gusts over 20 between about 6 and 8 a.m., according to the NWS.
Most of the county is expected to be partly cloudy tonight as the temps drop off to lows around 14, but Waldoboro has a chance of rain, freezing rain, and sleet before 11 p.m. turning to snow showers until 1 a.m., according to forecasts. The chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Central Maine Power is reporting 864 outages in Lincoln County as of 9:52 a.m., but spokesman Gail Rice said she was unable to give the specific reason behind 723 outages in Boothbay.
The outages in Boothbay are likely caused by a single event, Rice said.
“That will probably come back very quickly, as quickly as it went out, as soon as we get somebody down there,” she said.
A number of Lincoln County school districts and other organizations are closed or canceling events today and tonight. Check WCSH6’s website for closings and cancellations.
