Spring storm expected to bring rain, power outages to central Maine - Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

A spring storm with heavy rain and gusty winds is expected to move into Maine on Monday morning, bringing the possibility of flooding and power outages.

The storm comes less that three days after a spring snowstorm dumped wet, heavy snow across the region, knocking down branches and power lines

Hunter Tubbs, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said Sunday winds gusting up to 55 mph, particularly in midcoast Maine and in higher elevations in the mountains, could result in power outages.

And while the storm is expected to bring up to 1.5 inches of rain in some areas, minor flooding is expected along the Kennebec River.

In northern Somerset County, where between 10 and 20 inches of snow remains on the ground, Tubbs said the water content in that snow is high and the snowpack ripe. Because the daytime temperatures are forecast to be in the 50s, significant snowmelt is expected to take place.

“If the mountains get more rain that we’re forecasting now, there will be more of a flooding issue,” he said.

As of Sunday, the National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service was forecasting the Kennebec River in Augusta could reach minor flood stage by Tuesday morning.

Sean Goodwin, director of the Kennebec County Emergency Management Agency, said Sunday that riverfront parking lots in Augusta and Hallowell may see some minor flooding, but the wind that is expected may cause issues.

“There’s no heavy snow on the lines with this storm,” Goodwin said. “But we will have some trees that were cracked by the snow the other day.”

And those trees may cause problems in windy conditions.

On Sunday, Central Maine Power Co. was showing outages from last week’s snow storm still remaining from Brunswick to Dover-Foxcroft.

In a statement Sunday morning, CMP officials said they expect power to be restored to the vast majority of affected customers by Sunday evening.

Company spokeswoman Catharine Hartnett said CMP crews, plus 400 contract crews and crews from other utilities, would continue to work Sunday to restore power to those who have been out since Thursday.

With those crews still at work in Maine, Hartnett said, CMP is as prepared as it can be for Monday’s storm.

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