Maine has a moderate chance of getting snow for Christmas

By Leela Stockley, Bangor Daily News Staff

While it’s still a week and half from the holiday, there is a moderate chance that Maine could get snow for Christmas this year.

That would be a relief to many Mainers, after the state saw stormy weather ahead of Christmas Day in both 2022 and 2023. 

In 2023, more than 420,000 Maine residences were left without power just days before Christmas due to a heavy windstorm that blew through the region. Around 100 residents were still without power by Christmas Day. 

And in 2022, the state weathered driving rain, high winds and rapidly changing temperatures that left around 100,000 residences without electricity on Christmas Day. 

So far, the forecast has most of New England seeing seasonably cold temperatures in the days leading up to the holiday, with a slight bump in temperatures on Christmas Day, according to AccuWeather. 

“The cold sticks with us at the start of Christmas week, but then it warms up as we head towards the middle of the week on Christmas,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said. 

As of Monday afternoon, no major storm systems are in sight that would signal a significant nor’easter for the state during Christmas week. 

It is likely that higher elevations, including Sugarloaf Mountain and Katahdin, will see significant snowfall. However, it is not clear yet whether optimal conditions for snow accumulation at lower elevations will materialize.