Dangerously cold temperatures expected in Maine Tuesday

By Rosemary Lausier, Bangor Daily News Staff

Coming off the heels of a winter storm that hammered parts of the state with more than a foot of snow, Maine will see bitterly cold temperatures on Tuesday. 

A wind chill advisory is in effect for the majority of the state with weather officials cautioning the possibility of frostbite and hypothermia in as little as 10 minutes in some areas if precautions are not taken. 

High temperatures will be below zero across the north and in the single digits Down East. 

The advisory is in effect from 4 a.m. to noon Tuesday in  Penobscot, Hancock, southeast Aroostook, southern Piscataquis and Washington counties. Wind chills as low as 25 below zero are expected, according to the National Weather Service in Caribou. 

Meanwhile, in the northernmost parts of Piscataquis and Aroostook counties the advisory is in effect from 9 p.m. Monday to 7 p.m. Tuesday with wind chills as low at 38 below zero expected. In these areas, frostbite on exposed skin could happen within minutes, NWS Caribou said. 

For central and southern Maine, the advisory is in effect from 2 to 10 a.m. with wind chills ranging from 20-25 below zero predicted. Frostbite on exposed skin could happen within a half hour, officials said.