Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Caribou, ME
Issued by NWS Caribou, ME
471 FXUS61 KCAR 112353 AFDCAR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Caribou ME 653 PM EST Tue Nov 11 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Low pressure moves northeast of the region this afternoon. A series of upper level disturbances will cross the region Wednesday into Saturday. Low pressure will approach the region Sunday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... 650 pm update... Scattered snow showers occurring acrs the area this evening with best coverage over southwestern Maine associated with best synoptic forcing. As sfc trof moves through this evening expect coverage to increase over the region with minor accumulations possible all the way down to the coast. West winds should begin to increase and become gusty within the next 2-3 hours as H9 winds increase behind trof moving thru. Prev discussion blo... Today, low pressure system continues to move northeast into Canada, while some shortwave disturbances move through northern Maine. As a result, there is a chance for snow/rain showers throughout the state given the additional instability and lift. There is a chance for some rain over the waters and the Downeast coast, given higher temperatures early this afternoon, but these do switch over to snow as temperatures drop into the lower-30s this evening. As trough axis swings through alter tonight, mid-level jet roughly around 120kts at 500mb moves to the east of our CWA, placing us in the left-exit region. Elevated winds throughout the evening into night, primarily Downeast where mixing could bring down some 30-35mph gusts. Skies overcast throughout the state. Tonight, trough axis swings through Maine, as surface ridge builds in from the west, pushing aforementioned snow showers to the east before they taper off tomorrow morning. Winds expected to increase throughout the night. Heaviest snowfall expected in the North Woods region and mountainous regions, around one to two inches. Snowfall half an inch to an inch inland, and up to a tenth of an inch possible along the immediate coast. Cannot rule out the possibility for some heavier snow showers with some upper-level support and a little bit of moisture advection, but confidence is low given the last of diurnal heating during the day and minimal surface lifting to get things moving. Temperatures decrease into the 20s Tuesday night, with partially cloudy skies. Did include a chance for some thunder over the waters, given favorable surface/elevated CAPE, along with mid-level shear. Impressive cold pool aloft along this upper- level trough moves over the region as well, which further could help drive some storm development. Tomorrow, surface ridging over the region, with winds relaxing as pressure gradient between departing low and high pressure starts to ease. There is a shortwave that moves along the coast later in the afternoon into Wednesday night, which could provide enough instability and moisture for some showers over the waters. Highs in the upper-30s in the north, and low-to-mid 40s Downeast. Partially cloudy. Tomorrow night, shortwave low slides along the coastline, with continued rain showers over the waters and the coast. Could be periods of a rain snow mix further inland Washington and Hancock counties. As low moves east, chance for some snow showers to move through northern Maine increase as well. Overnight lows in the mid-to-upper 20s. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... An upper low closes across the Maritimes Thursday/Thursday night, maintaining troffing across the forecast area with difficult to time disturbances moving through the trof. Expect mostly cloudy skies along with a chance of rain/snow showers across northern areas Thursday, with partly sunny/mostly cloudy skies along with a chance of rain showers Downeast. Mostly cloudy skies along with a chance of snow showers will occur across northern areas Thursday night, with partly/mostly cloudy skies along with a slight chance of rain/snow showers Downeast. The closed upper low remains across the Maritimes Friday through Friday night maintaining troffing across the forecast area with disturbances still moving through the trof. Expect mostly cloudy skies along with a chance of rain/snow showers across northern areas Friday. Generally expect partly cloudy skies along with a slight chance of rain showers Downeast Friday. Will have mostly cloudy skies along with a slight chance of snow showers across northern areas Friday night, with generally partly cloudy skies Downeast. Expect slightly below normal level temperatures Thursday/Friday. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... The Maritimes system begins to slowly drift east Saturday, though how rapidly this occurs is still uncertain. High pressure should then begin to build toward the region later Saturday. Generally expect partly/mostly cloudy skies north, partly cloudy Downeast, Saturday. However, if the upper trof is slow to exit could also still have a slight chance of rain/snow showers across the north and mountains. High pressure could briefly cross the region early Sunday. Uncertainty then increases later Sunday into Monday regarding the upper pattern and subsequent impacts on a possible surface low. An approaching upper low should support an intensifying surface low moving from the Gulf of Maine toward Nova Scotia later Sunday through Sunday night, with the supporting upper low also starting to cross the region Sunday night. Precipitation chances should begin to increase across mostly central and Downeast portions of the forecast area Sunday afternoon. Based on critical thicknesses, precipitation would likely begin in the form of snow across central areas. Across Downeast areas, precipitation at the onset could be in the form of either snow or a snow/rain mix. Precipitation should then expand across the remainder of the forecast area Sunday night. Precipitation should be in the form of snow across much of the forecast area Sunday night. However, a rain/snow mix could persist Downeast early Sunday night particularly along the coast. Colder air being drawn around the intensifying system should then allow for a transition to snow Downeast. The system will exit across the Maritimes early Monday. Early snow should taper to snow showers across northern areas, tapering to snow/rain showers Downeast. Accumulating snow is likely across the entire forecast area with this system, though amounts are still uncertain. The system should lift toward Labrador Tuesday while an upper level disturbance crosses the region. Expect mostly cloudy skies along with a slight chance of snow/rain showers across northern areas Tuesday, with partly sunny skies Downeast. Expect slightly below normal level temperatures Saturday through Tuesday. && .AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... NEAR TERM: FVE will see MVFR cigs thru around 20z Wednesday with light -shsn expected until 07z tonight. CAR and PQI to see MVFR tonight before gradually improving to MVFR in the morning. HUL will see low VFR and light snow showers tonight with improvement to VFR by 07z. Downeast terminals will vary between VFR and MVFR tonight before improving to VFR around 04z tonight. All terminals to see west winds increase and become gusty within the next 2-3 hours. Winds decrease late Wednesday afternoon. SHORT TERM: Thursday...VFR/MVFR. A chance of rain/snow showers north. A chance of rain showers Downeast. Variable winds 5 to 10 knots. Thursday night...VFR/MVFR with a chance of snow showers north. VFR Downeast with a chance of rain/snow showers early. North/northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Friday.,..VFR/MVFR with a slight chance of snow/rain showers north. VFR Downeast with a slight chance of rain showers. Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots with gusts up to 20 knots. Friday night...VFR/MVFR with a slight chance of snow showers north. VFR Downeast. Northwest/west winds 10 to 15 knots. Saturday...VFR/MVFR with a slight chance of rain/snow showers north. VFR Downeast. Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots with gusts up to around 20 knots. Saturday night...VFR/MVFR with a slight chance of snow showers north. VFR Downeast. Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming variable 5 to 10 knots. Sunday...VFR/MVFR early, lowering to MVFR/IFR. Increasing snow chances north, with increasing snow/rain chances Downeast. Variable winds 5 to 10 knots. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: Gale Warning in effect until tonight, as seas stay around 6-8 ft over the inter-coastals, and 8-10 ft over the outer-waters. Rain showers, that could transition to snow showers late tonight through tomorrow morning, with a potential for a few isolated thunderstorms. Winds currently from the SW, shifting to the W by tomorrow morning. Winds then shift to the N late Wednesday night. SHORT TERM: Conditions below small craft advisory levels Thursday into Thursday night. Small craft advisory conditions possible Friday into Friday night. A chance of rain showers Thursday into Friday night. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. MARINE...Gale Warning until 7 AM EST Wednesday for ANZ050>052. && $$ Near Term...ASB/21 Short Term...CN Long Term...CN Aviation...ASB/21/CN Marine...ASB/21/CN