Maine Weather March 4 Midday - Unseasonably Warm

Good afternoon. Maine. I'm DJ Huzz. That inch and a half of snow yesterday already feels like a memory. Step outside today and you'll find sunshine with highs in the mid to upper 40s. That's about 7 degrees above normal for early March. In the next 24 hours. Portland reaches 46 degrees under sunny skies. Augusta and Bangor both climb to 47. The Western Mountains stay cooler at 39. But up in Aroostook County, enjoy that 43-degree high. Because tonight brings a dramatic change. A full moon rises over a rapidly cooling state. Lows plunge to 24 in Portland, 21 in Bangor. The County drops to 9 degrees with snow likely after 7 P.M. Thursday turns sharply colder. A backdoor cold front drops highs into the teens up north, upper 20s in Bangor. And only 33 to 36 degrees in Portland. Then the pattern gets interesting. Snow spreads across the state Thursday night into Friday. Portland could see 1 to 3 inches. Central areas pick up around an inch. A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain is possible Friday night. But spring fights back this weekend. Saturday highs surge into the upper 40s. Sunday and Monday bring 50s statewide. That snow won't linger long. On this date in 1971. Portland got buried under 26 inches of snow. Quite the contrast today. Sunrise at 6:14, sunset at 5:34. We're gaining nearly 3 minutes of daylight daily. For the extended outlook, check the latest forecast as confidence improves. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.