Today we are watching a very strong cold front to our west.  The air on the back side of this front is basically from the north pole.  For some areas in the Midwest, this is the coldest air in nearly 4 years.  Here in Maine, we will experience three days of what I will  call significant cold.  This is the type of air that will be very dry and cold enough that when you breathe through your nose the moisture in there will freeze. That might not  be the best visual, but it gets the point across.

The cold air will arrive in two pieces. The first piece moves into the area tonight after a very mild afternoon.  Temperatures this afternoon will reach the 40s again, but there will be a gusty wind. Tonight temperatures will drop quite rapidly.  By morning many towns will be 40F degrees colder than they were just 12 hours earlier. The huge contrast in temperature between today and tomorrow will help create a lot of  wind. Wind advisories are in effect as winds could be strong enough for a few power outages or downed tree limbs.

Monday will dawn sunny and cold but clouds will increase during the day.  An area of snow will move southeast from the Great Lakes region and bring a period of light snow to Maine Monday night and early Tuesday.  While it may snow for 8-10 hours, I am not expecting more than a dusting to 2 inches of snow with this system.  After this period of snow showers the core of the cold air arrives.  While it will be bright and sunny Wednesday and Thursday temperatures will struggle to reach the teens along coastal York county up to Portland. North and west of that area, afternoon temperatures will most likely stay under 10F. 

Gardening this week All the dry air associated with the cold isn’t good for our indoor houseplants. Recently, I took a trip to greenhouse and saw how they care for their plants in winter. Hopefully, some of the tips help to keep your plants healthy until spring. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this blog or any others. Please follow me on Twitter at @growingwisdom and check out my latest videos at GrowingWisdom.com

 

 

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