Extreme Cold in Maine, February 10 to 11, 2001

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
336 PM EST SAT FEB 10 2001

.SYNOPSIS...
AN INTENSE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL LIFT THROUGH THE GULF OF SAINT LAWRENCE
ACROSS LABRADOR...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL PERSIST
THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH VERY COLD AIR BEING DRAWN ACROSS THE REGION IN THE
WAKE OF THE LOW. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD TOWARD THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT
AND CROSS THE AREA MONDAY.

DISCUSSION...
CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATED A DEEP LOW CENTERED NEAR THE GASPE
PENINSULA. THE LOW WILL LIFT THROUGH THE GULF OF ST LAWRENCE TOWARD
LABRADOR TONIGHT AND CONTINUE TRACKING NORTHEASTWARD SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE
WILL BUILD TOWARD THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT...THEN CROSS THE REGION MONDAY.
ALOFT...THE UPPER LOW LIFTS TOWARD LABRADOR TONIGHT WITH TROFFING PERSISTING
ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. THE UPPER TROF LIFTS TO THE NORTHEAST SUNDAY...WITH
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BULDING ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.

A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT AND VERY STRONG WINDS CURRENTLY EXIST ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA. BASED ON WINDS FROM THE SURFACE TO 850 MB...EXPECT SOME WIND
GUSTS IN EXECESS OF 60 MPH WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EVENING.
THUS...WILL MAINTAIN THE HIGH WIND WARNING REGIONWIDE THROUGH THE EVENING.
ALTHOUGH STRONG WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE NIGHT...MAXIMUM GUSTS SHOULD
BEGIN TO DIMINISH LATER THIS EVENING WITH LESS MIXING. THE STRONG WINDS WILL
ADVECT VERY COLD AIR ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF STRONG
WINDS AND TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE AND BELOW ZERO
WILL DROP WIND CHILLS TO AROUND 60 BELOW ZERO ACROSS NORTHERN AREAS AND TO
AROUND 50 BELOW ZERO DOWNEAST. THUS...WILL HAVE A WIND CHILL WARNING ACROSS
THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS
THE NORTH EARLY THIS EVENING...SHOULD TAPER TO FLURRIES LATER THIS EVENING.

A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY BETWEEN
THE EXITING LOW AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES.
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...WILL OCCUR SUNDAY.
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COLD WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS
ABOVE ZERO ACROSS THE NORTH AND RANGING THROUGH THE TEENS TO AROUND 20
DOWNEAST. A FEW FLURRIES COULD LINGER ACROSS THE NORTH AND MOUNTAINS.

DRIER AIR WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION...FROM THE WEST...LATER SUNDAY AND
SUNDAY NIGHT. SKIES WILL BECOME MOSTLY CLEAR REGIONWIDE SUNDAY NIGHT AS
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE REGION. WINDS WILL ALSO DIMINISH SUNDAY
NIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES...DIMINISHING WINDS...DRY
AIR AND A DEEP SNOWPACK WILL ALLOW FOR GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING SUNDAY
NIGHT. LOW TEMPERATURES SUNDAY NIGHT SHOULD DROP INTO THE TEENS BELOW ZERO
ACROSS THE NORTH AND SINGLE DIGITS BELOW ZERO DOWNEAST.

AFTER A SUNNY START...CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE LATER MONDAY AS
MOISTURE INCREASES FROM THE WEST.

COASTAL WATERS...
STORM FORCE WINDS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE WATERS TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY.
THUS...WILL MAINTAIN THE STORM WARNING. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WILL
DEVELOP TONIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH SUNDAY AS MUCH COLDER AIR OVERSPREADS
THE WATERS.

EXTENDED...
A DISTURBANCE WILL CROSS THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY WITH A CHANCE OF
SNOW. ANOTHER DISTURBANCE SHOULD TRACK NORTH OF THE REGION WEDNESDAY WITH
A CHANCE OF SNOW NORTH AND RAIN OR SNOW DOWNEAST. SOME LINGERING SNOW
SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTH THURSDAY. LOW PRESSURE SHOULD
APPROACH THE REGION LATER FRIDAY AND CROSS THE REGION SATURDAY.

.CAR...HIGH WIND WARNING THIS EVENING FOR ALL ZONES.
       WIND CHILL WARNING TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR ALL ZONES.
       STORM WARNING.

NORCROSS