


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Caribou, ME
Issued by NWS Caribou, ME
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969 FXUS61 KCAR 051921 AFDCAR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Caribou ME 321 PM EDT Sat Jul 5 2025 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure will exit south of the Maritimes tonight. A cold front will begin to slowly cross the region later Sunday. The cold front will approach the Downeast coast Monday through Monday night, cross the Gulf of Maine Tuesday through Tuesday night, then dissipate mid week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... High pressure will exit south of the Maritimes tonight. With the developing return flow, a warm front will cross the region overnight. Isolated/scattered showers and thunderstorms will cross mostly northern areas tonight. Expect partly/mostly cloudy skies Downeast tonight. A slow moving cold front will begin to approach northern Maine later Sunday. Precipitable water values will increase to around 2.0 inches across the region Sunday afternoon. A mid level jet and vort max will also cross the region Sunday afternoon. These factors, along with diurnal heating, will support shower/thunderstorm development across the region Sunday afternoon. Expect the most numerous showers and thunderstorms across central and northern areas. Strong, to possibly severe, thunderstorms will occur with strong winds the primary threat. However, large hail is also possible with any more organized storms. With high precipitable water values and a slow moving cold front, training thunderstorms could also pose a flash flood threat. The flash flood threat is also greatest across northern and central portions of the forecast area. The cold front will begin to slowly settle south across the forecast area Sunday night, though how rapidly this occurs is still uncertain. Thunderstorm intensity will begin to diminish Sunday evening. However, showers/thunderstorms will move south across the forecast area overnight with the cold front. Low temperatures tonight will range from around 60 to the lower 60s across the forecast area. High temperatures Sunday will range from the lower to mid 80s north, to the upper 80s to around 90 across central and interior Downeast areas. Apparent temperatures across portions of the central and interior Downeast regions of the forecast area could approach Heat Advisory levels Sunday afternoon. High temperatures along the Downeast coast will range from the upper 70s to mid 80s. Low temperatures Sunday night will range from the mid 50s to around 60 north, to around 60 to the mid 60s Downeast. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Challenging forecast Monday through Tuesday. A very slow moving cold front will be drifting south through the area, with showers along and behind the front and storms near the front itself and just ahead. The problem is some differing timing among models for the front. The GEFS ensemble has been the fastest, EPS slowest, and GEPS in between. Latest 12z GEFS has slowed down a bit though and is closer to GEPS. Monday...General consensus is for the front during the day Monday to be nearly stalled somewhere between Bangor and Houlton, with showers and storms most abundant in this portion of the area, but again, there is about 100 miles north/south uncertainty with the frontal position. Wherever the front sets up, there could be fairly heavy rain. Not expecting any significant flooding, but can`t rule out localized issues. Temperatures Monday are very uncertain due to frontal position uncertainty. Very warm and muggy south of the front and relatively cool north of the front. Can`t rule out some stronger storms Monday along/just ahead of the front where convection is surface-based, but behind the front, any convection will not be surface-based thanks to stable low-level air, and don`t expect anything strong there. Monday Night...Some of the convection could die off a bit Monday evening, but the 40-60 PoPs remain through the night wherever the front is positioned, most likely in central/south- central portions of the area. Tuesday...The uncertainty in frontal position continues. Most models shift the front south some to Downeast somewhere roughly along the coast. This would put Downeast in a favorable position for showers/storms, and went with PoPs around 60 percent in this area. Drier the further north you go, but again, still a lot of uncertainty. Targets of Opportunity...For thunder chances Monday to Tuesday, shifted NBM`s PotThunder south some, as it seemed to be having thunder chances way north of the consensus frontal position. For precipitation during the day Monday, shifted NBM`s QPF north some to better align with its PoPs. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... Toward Tuesday night, most models push the front just enough offshore to begin to dry out Downeast. However, if the front hangs back some, which some models, particularly some ECMWF ensemble members show, Downeast could still be under the gun for some heavier rain. Of concern is that remnants of Chantal and associated moisture could be entrained into the front around this time. Hopefully, this will occur over the Gulf of Maine and not over Downeast Maine, but will need to keep a close eye. For the Wednesday through Saturday period, looking relatively quiet with a chance of showers and storms, mainly in the afternoon hours, each day. Temperatures fairly close to average and slightly muggy, but not oppressive. && .AVIATION /19Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... NEAR TERM: Generally expect VFR conditions across the region tonight. However, occasional MVFR conditions are possible across northern areas with any showers/thunderstorms. VFR conditions are expected across the region early Sunday. Variable conditions will then occur with showers and thunderstorms Sunday afternoon, most extensive across central and northern areas. Thunderstorms could be strong, to possibly severe, with strong winds and heavy rains the main threat. Variable conditions are then expected regionwide Sunday night with showers and thunderstorms. South/southwest winds 5 to 10 knots tonight. Westerly low level wind shear across northern areas overnight. Southwest/west winds 10 to 15 knots Sunday, except locally strong in the vicinity of any thunderstorms. Variable winds 5 to 10 knots Sunday night. SHORT TERM: Monday and Monday Night...Mix of MVFR/VFR, with IFR possible immediate coast. Showers and storms possible. Variable wind less than 10 kts. Tuesday and Tuesday Night...Mainly VFR north, with mix of MVFR/VFR Downeast. N wind less than 10 kts. Wednesday through Thursday...Mainly VFR with variable winds less than 10 kts. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: Winds/seas below small craft advisory levels tonight through Sunday. A Small Craft Advisory has been issued for much of the waters, with the exception of the intra-coastal waters, for Sunday night. Isolated showers and thunderstorms Sunday night. Areas of fog Sunday night. SHORT TERM: Small craft level seas early Monday gradually lower through midweek. SW winds around 15 kts become variable 10 kts or less toward midweek. Fog likely over the waters Monday to early Tuesday. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...Beach Hazards Statement until 8 PM EDT this evening for MEZ029- 030. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 6 PM Sunday to 6 AM EDT Monday for ANZ050-051. && $$ Near Term...Norcross Short Term...Foisy Long Term...Foisy Aviation...Norcross/Foisy Marine...Norcross/Foisy