Cold but sunny today; warming up this weekend

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Happy Friday everyone. We witnessed our coldest temperatures of the season in Maine this morning! Low temperatures dropped all the way down into the single digits and negatives with wind chill values down into the –10s and –20s. A few record lows were even set!

Temperatures will slowly rise as the arctic air mass sits overhead this afternoon. You can expect plenty of sunshine, apart from Northern Maine, where clouds will sit a bit more consistently during the afternoon. The rest of us will be mostly sunny. High temps will vary from the upper 0s to mid 20s. NW to SW gusts will reach 15-20 mph.

Conditions will get very cold once again tonight, but the good news is that the winds will be very calm. Low temps will vary throughout the single digits and teens for most, but some spots up North and in the Western Mountains might drop down into the negatives. Winds will be calm and variable, so wind chill values will sit throughout the single digits and negative single digits. Skies will be mostly clear to start before clouding out by sunrise.

Temperatures will warm up a bit for the weekend but will remain below average. Skies will be on the cloudy side Saturday. A few showers will develop Saturday morning as a frontal system enters. This frontal system will provide warmer air to start, before colder air enters behind the back half of the front on Sunday. Showers will continue throughout the afternoon on Saturday for many inland and coastal spots. Showers will span from Norway and Farmington all the way up to Houlton and Presque Isle. In addition, you can expect showers to the South and East of these locations. Precipitation is less likely to the North and West. Inland communities can expect light snow showers up to an inch, while coastal spots will transition from some light snow to light rain. High temps on Saturday will vary from the low 20s to upper 30s. SSE gusts will only reach 15-20 mph.

Sunday will be the drier of the weekend days, with sunshine returning during the morning hours. Skies will be partly to mostly sunny in the morning, before clouds enter during the afternoon. Highs will start to cool, varying from the mid 10s to low 30s. NW to NE gusts will reach 25 mph.

Snow showers will enter Sunday night and may continue Monday morning. Another cold stretch is expected to start the coming work week. High temps will vary from the upper 0s to mid 20s on Monday with cloudier conditions and a few light scattered snow showers in the morning. Any snow showers will likely fall as flurries, resulting in a light and drier powder. Partly sunny skies will return in the afternoon. NNW gusts will start to pick up, reaching 30 mph.

The colder conditions will continue Tuesday, with highs from the mid 10s to low 30s. Skies will be on the sunnier side in the morning, before clouds enter in the afternoon. A few Pm snow showers are possible. WSW gusts will reach 25 mph.

By Wednesday and Thursday, the colder stretch should come to an end. Temperatures will vary throughout the 20s and 30s, with a few low 40s even possible. Temps should finally be back to or above average. Skies will be on the cloudier side with a pair of low pressure systems providing some rain/snow chances. Expect a bit of a messier and unsettled stretch during the mid/late week.

FRIDAY: Cold. Highs from upper 0s to mid 20s. Plenty of sunshine. More clouds North. NW to SW gusts reach 15-20 mph.

SATURDAY: Highs from low 20s to upper 30s. Cloudier conditions. Scattered snow showers, mostly during PM. Rain showers on coast. SSE gusts reach 15-20 mph.

SUNDAY: Highs from mid 10s to low 30s. Partly to mostly sunny AM. PM building clouds. NW to NE gusts reach 25 mph.

MONDAY: Highs from upper 0s to mid 20s. Cloudier AM with scattered snow showers. Partly sunny PM. NNW gusts reach 30 mph.

TUESDAY: Highs from mid 10s to low 30s. AM sunshine. PM clouds enter with few snow showers. W/SW gusts reach 25 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Highs from mid 20s to upper 30s. Cloudier conditions. Snow showers, few rain showers on coast. WSW gusts reach 20 mph.