A few strong storms possible Saturday, Dad’s Day looks good
Good Saturday #GoodSaturday
NEWS CENTER Maine Weather Video Forecast
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Active weather returns, just in time for the weekend.
This will be confined to Saturday. Father’s Day Sunday still looks great, with much nicer weather after the cold front rolls through.
The biggest takeaway is that there could be two rounds of storms on Saturday: one in the morning and another in the afternoon and evening.
Both could be a bit loud, but the threat for severe weather is mostly focused on the second line that rolls through.
Clouds thicken tonight ahead of an approaching cold front. It will be milder than the last few, with temperatures staying in the 50s.
The first round of showers and storms arrives in western Maine around sunrise, if it can hold together overnight tonight.
I think the best chance at thunder with this line will be along and north of Route 2.
This will sweep east, clearing Downeast counties by the early afternoon.
The wildcard for just how strong storms can get in the afternoon is how much cloud cover lingers after the first line rolls through.
Right now, the forecast is calling for clearing conditions behind that first line. This would mean more sunshine can heat things up and recharge the atmosphere with energy.
If the clouds manage to linger, though, it will keep the atmosphere a bit more stable and could cut back on the severe risk heading into the evening.
This is the line of storms that we need to watch.
Wind will strengthen higher up in the atmosphere later Saturday, which gives us a rotating, strengthening wind profile as you go up from the ground.
In other words, we will have a decent amount of wind shear, a necessary ingredient in strong thunderstorms.
As these storms roll through, the biggest threat is going to be strong wind gusts.
Some of these could be strong enough for damage.
Any storm that pops will also bring the possibility of hail and heavy rain.
Do you have storm pictures? If you can safely take them, send them in on the “Near Me” section of our app. We always like to see what’s going on in your backyard!
The storms will dissipate pretty quickly Saturday night, setting the stage for a gorgeous Father’s Day.
The latest drought monitor shows a pretty significant change, with all of Maine now included in the abnormally dry region and the moderate drought expanded, too.
Any rain that falls will certainly beneficial, but the hit-or-miss nature of the storms ensures that Saturday will not be a drought buster.
The next threat for storms comes on Tuesday, as tropical moisture surges northward and a cold front rolls through.
Stay weather alert tomorrow. You can follow along on our interactive radar, or download our app to get push notifications on storms that move near your location.
You can also get more updates by following me on Twitter, @MikeSliferWX.
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