Beware! Maine May See A Ground Blizzard On Friday And Saturday

During the winter, we spend a good part of the week, both on-air and off-air, talking about the weather.  This week has been no different.  As soon as we had cleaned up from the last snow / slush storm, we started talking about this frigid weather.  You think we'd be numb to it by now.  Nope!

The closer we get to the weekend, the more unpleasant the weather sounds.  Sure, we are not going to be getting a massive snow storm, but it is going to be FREEZING and WINDY!

In fact, all of that wind means that there is a good chance that some parts of Maine could see a "ground blizzard" this Friday or Saturday.

What is a ground blizzard?

Normally, when we think about blizzards, we picture a BIG storm that dumps tons of snow on us.  And, accompanying that snow are high winds.  Those winds kick up that freshly fallen snow, drastically reducing visibility.

According to Weather.gov, a "ground blizzard" occurs when fluffy (powder) snow that was already on the ground is kicked up by high winds.

One of the things that make these blizzards as dangerous, or even more dangerous, as the normally type is the fact that people are not expecting them.  With a normal blizzard, you know the snow is falling and can anticipate poor driving conditions.  With a ground blizzard, the visibility drops suddenly.

This weekend

According to the National Weather Service, the entire state will see higher than normal winds on Friday and Saturday.  However, there is a good chance that some parts of western and northern Maine will see gusts of up to 65 miles per hour.

Those high gusts, combined with the fresh snow expected on Thursday night, could lead to some white-out conditions.

If you need to travel, please use caution.  The National Weather Service Facebook page has more information.

Even the parts of Maine that do not get the extremely high winds will get high enough gusts to create dangerous wind chills.  If you need to be outside, use proper clothing.  Also, keep pets inside as much as possible.

Be safe!