Special Weather Statement | Maine Weather 6 AM

Good morning! I'm DJ Huzz. And welcome to the Maine Weather Podcast. It's Thursday, February 26th. That half inch of snow overnight left everything looking freshly frosted. Like someone dusted the whole state with powdered sugar. Step outside and you'll feel 20 degrees with a bite. But here's the twist.. Sunshine's taking over today. Portland climbs to 36 degrees this afternoon. That's 4 above normal for late February. Not bad at all. West winds gust to 30 miles an hour though, so that sun comes with some teeth. Downeast edges even higher, hitting 37. Over in Bangor, patchy freezing fog hangs around until about 7 A.M. Once that clears, you're looking at 35 degrees and blue sky. Augusta matches Bangor at 35. Now the Western Mountains? Different world up there. Topping out at just 23 degrees with a chance of early snow showers. Aroostook gets scattered flurries through midday before settling at 33. Tonight the bottom drops out. Portland falls to 14. Augusta to 11. Bangor slides to 7. The mountains? Two degrees. Wind chills near minus 4. That's the kind of cold that finds every crack in your house. Folks, Friday brings more sunshine with calmer winds. Highs in the low to mid 30s. Almost pleasant. Now the week ahead tells a real story. Saturday is the gem. Portland and Augusta both hit 44 degrees. Even The County touches 40. Soak that warmth into your bones.. Because Sunday an Arctic front crashes the party. Snow chances return and temperatures nosedive. Sunday night lows hit 7 along the coast. The mountains drop to minus 6. Aroostook plunges to minU S One2 with dangerous wind chills. Monday stays locked in the teens and 20s. One bright spot. We're gaining nearly 3 minutes of daylight today. Maple sugaring season is about two weeks out. Spring's on the way. Just taking the scenic route. Charge your devices and top off that firewood before Sunday. You'll be glad you did. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.