Dec. 8—Portland residents woke up Sunday morning to the city’s first noticeable snowfall of the winter season after an overnight storm system dropped a few inches’ worth of flakes across much of Maine.
But along the coast, flurries tapered off throughout the morning, and high temperatures in the mid-40s, combined with sun in the forecast, were expected to melt a good deal of the accumulation Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service office in Gray.
Portland got about 1.7 inches of snow, according to measurements taken at the Portland International Jetport on Sunday morning.
Snow measurements ranged from just half an inch in some locations along the coast to more than 4 inches in parts of Kennebec and Somerset counties, said National Weather Service forecaster Greg Cornwell.
Good morning! Light snow fell overnight and will begin to taper through the morning hours. We would appreciate any snow measurements as you get your day started. Temperatures warm into the 40s today along the coast and interior, so new snow will whittle down this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/iXXxIqdP5s
— NWS Gray (@NWSGray) December 8, 2024
The weather service said Saturday that it was tracking an Alberta clipper system forecast to produce between 1 and 3 inches. Forecasters expected coastal areas like Portland to land on the low side of that range, while the interior of the state was forecast to see around 3 inches.
While much of Maine’s interior was blanketed with snow last month thanks to a Thanksgiving Day storm that knocked out power for some 70,000 Maine customers, coastal Portland got mostly rain from that system.
Portland’s first recorded snow of the season didn’t arrive until Thursday, and even then, it was barely a dusting: Only a tenth of an inch was reported at the Portland International Jetport, and temperatures hovering near freezing meant any accumulation melted almost instantly. In nearby Gray — a bit farther inland than coastal Portland — about an inch and a half was recorded.
The weather service said there’s a chance of a wintry mix for Greater Portland on Monday and Tuesday.
“Expect some slick conditions on Tuesday morning for the commute,” Cornwell said.
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