


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Caribou, ME
Issued by NWS Caribou, ME
276 FXUS61 KCAR 100655 AFDCAR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Caribou ME 255 AM EDT Fri Oct 10 2025 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure slides south of the state today. A new high pressure system builds into the area from Quebec on Saturday then slides into the Maritimes on Sunday. Low pressure tracks northeast along the Mid Atlantic coast Monday and then tracks south of Maine on Tuesday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/... A chilly start to this morning with widespread frost and temperatures down in the 20s and 30s with light winds. Clear skies this morning and most locations decoupling but a few areas may keep winds up just enough to prevent decoupling. A Freeze Warning remains in effect through 8AM for the Downeast and Bangor region where the frost/freeze program remains active. Today, 1033mb surface high pressure will drift SE over Cape Cod this morning and south of Georges Bank this afternoon. Winds will turn SW this afternoon generally 5-15mph and expecting mixing up to 900mb based on hi-res modeled soundings. Given this mixing will go with lowering the dew points a few degrees below NBM. This will result in afternoon minimum RHs falling back into the low to mid 30 percent range which is a concern with ongoing drought and fire weather concerns. A lot of the leaf litter that has fallen across the CWA will continue to rapidly dry out but thankfully winds will be light today. Highs top out in the low to mid 50s north, upper 50s to near 60F for the Central Highlands to Downeast coast. Tonight, the surface high weakens to around 1029mb and drifts E of Georges Bank over the North Atlantic while a weak 500mb trof passes north of the state tonight into the Maritimes. Expecting partly cloudy skies tonight with weak light SW winds becoming calm in spots. Temperatures although slightly warmer will drop back into the low to mid 30s for most Central and Northern areas resulting in areas of frost again. Wind direction will keep the Downeast coast mostly in the upper 30s to around 40F. Cannot rule out some patchy fog especially over the river valleys and warmer lakes/ponds. Saturday will feature another dry and sunny day as we are between two surface high pressures, one in Quebec and the other SE of Nova Scotia. Light westerly winds generally 5-10mph and afternoon RHs falling into the 35-45 percent range. Then && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Saturday night the surface ridging is in place across the state while the 500mb upper low begins to drift over western New York. Surface cyclogenesis continues off the Mid Atlantic states slowly drifts up the coast. Winds slowly shift to N-NNE generally less than 5mph and increasing high clouds over the area. Temperatures fall back into the low to mid 30s across the north where the sky remains clear and decoupling takes place. Upper 30s to low 40s for the Central Highlands, Bangor region into the Downeast. Sunday the surface high strengthens to around 1033mb over the Maritimes and in full control of the area. Low pressure off the Mid Atlantic coast continues as upper level divergence remains aloft over the low with the 500mb trof in the Eastern Great Lakes. A squeeze play is underway over the area with tightening pressure gradient in Maine. E-NE winds will increase during the day with breezy conditions Downeast into the Central Highlands by late day. Skies will start sunny and become partly sunny by late day. Highs top out in the upper 50s to near 60F north and low 60s south. A lot of uncertainty Sunday night between GFS, ECMWF and Canadian along with many other operational runs. This is due to the strength of the blocking high pressure over the Maritimes. NBM seems to be handling a decent blend on things with a mostly cloudy night, cool north in the 30s with 40s elsewhere. A chance of showers develops mainly confined to far SW zones overnight as moisture increases in the boundary layer. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Blocking high pressure remains northeast of the region Monday, while the Mid-Atlantic low gradually weakens. Uncertainty persists regarding the northern extent of the precipitation shield Monday. Due to the continued uncertainty will only have a slight chance of showers north, chance Downeast, Monday. However, stronger high pressure could limit the northern edge of the shield toward the Downeast coast keeping much of the forecast area dry. High surf and rip currents are likely along the Downeast coast Monday into Tuesday. High pressure will begin to move northeast Tuesday, while the weakening Mid-Atlantic system moves east and a cold front slowly approaches. Aloft, an upper level trof also begins to slowly approach Tuesday. Moisture from the remnants of the Mid-Atlantic system could be drawn northward across the forecast area in advance of the upper trof and approaching cold front. Uncertainty persists regarding shower chances Tuesday. Due to the uncertainty, will only keep a low chance of showers Tuesday along with mostly cloudy skies. The upper trof slowly approaches Wednesday while the remnants of the cold front remain across the region keeping mostly/partly cloudy skies along with a chance of showers across the forecast area. A disturbance could move through the upper trof Thursday keeping mostly/partly cloudy skies along with a chance of showers across the forecast area. Expect near normal level temperatures Monday through Thursday. && .AVIATION /06Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... NEAR TERM: Low confidence in BCFG between 09-12z this morning. Otherwise, VFR through today with SKC becoming FEW200-250 today. Light and variable winds this morning becoming SW this afternoon 5-10kt. Tonight, VFR and once again low confidence in BCFG 09-12z again tomorrow morning. Otherwise VFR through Friday night. Winds light and variable Friday night. Saturday will be VFR. West/southwest winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming variable 5 to 10 knots. SHORT TERM: Saturday night...Variable conditions with any patchy fog late. Otherwise, VFR. Variable winds 5 to 10 knots, becoming NE. Sunday...Variable conditions with any patchy fog early. Otherwise, VFR. E/NE winds around 10 knots. Sunday night...VFR. A slight chance/low chance of rain late Downeast. E/NE winds around 10 knots. Monday through Monday night...VFR north with a slight chance of rain later Monday into Monday night. VFR/MVFR Downeast with a chance of rain. E/NE winds 10 to 15 knots. LLWS possible at BHB. Tuesday...VFR/MVFR with a slight chance/low chance of showers. NE/N winds around 10 knots. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: Winds/seas below SCA conditions through Saturday. SW winds generally 10-20kt. Seas 1-2ft today becoming 2-3ft tomorrow. SHORT TERM: Winds/seas below small craft advisory levels Saturday through Sunday. Swells generated from the Mid Atlantic system should begin to reach the coastal waters Sunday night, with seas reaching small craft advisory levels. Winds also increase to small craft advisory levels Sunday night. Swell generated from the Mid-Atlantic system will then bring small craft advisory level seas early next week. Small craft advisory level winds should persist Monday into Monday night. A chance of rain Sunday night into Monday. Winds fall below SCA on Tuesday but swells remain well into SCA criteria into mid next week. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...Freeze Warning until 8 AM EDT this morning for MEZ015>017-029- 030. MARINE...None. && $$ Near Term...JS Short Term...JS Long Term...JS Aviation...JS Marine...JS