Did you really think it was going to be that easy?
Weather officials say a snowstorm is on the way — and it might be a big one.
“It’s still a little too far out to be talking about amounts, but it looks like there will be snow on Monday,” said Margaret Curtis, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Gray. “If it goes out to sea, it could be just some light snow. But if it moves closer, it’s looking like a very snowy day.”
How snowy?
“Certainly a plowable amount,” Curtis said.
Snow in mid-March is not unusual, she said. But the timing of it may come as a blow to those people bold enough to have put their snow shovels away for the season and replaced them with rakes — that combined with temperatures in the 60s, an early ice-out on most lakes and perennials peeking out of the ground.
“As enjoyable as it’s been the last few weeks, we are still in March,” Curtis said.
Most of March has been a breeze, although Thursday afternoon’s weather got crazy in some areas. Across the region, a fast-moving thundershower dumped heavy rain and hail before moving on.
In areas around Mechanic Falls and Minot, hailstones the size of quarters were reported. In most areas, hail was said to be pea-sized. There were also strong wind gusts and thunderclaps. It didn’t feel very much like winter.
That will likely change at the start of the week.
The oncoming storm is expected to begin rolling in late Sunday night or early Monday morning. If it comes in close, some areas may be looking at nearly a foot of snow. If it blows out to sea, it could be just a dusting.
“We’ll just hope for those smaller amounts,” Curtis said.
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