Brief respite from arctic cold predicted

Warmer weather is predicted to move into Maine on the heels of an arctic air mass that broke records in the northern part of the state last week.

Morning and late-night temperatures dipped to double digits below zero for many Aroostook County towns over the weekend. But even that may have seemed warm compared with conditions Friday.

Caribou shattered its previous record Friday morning when the mercury dropped to 29 below zero at the local National Weather Service office. The town of Keegan, meanwhile, reported a low of 39 below while nearby Van Buren was a tad warmer at 38 below.

Other areas of The County, including Presque Isle and Fort Kent, also reported readings of at least 30 below zero, according to the National Weather Service.

The lowest reading in Bangor Friday morning was 2 below.

But temperatures are expected to creep above freezing this week.

Meteorologist Ken Wallingford said that by midweek, parts of coastal Maine could get up into the 30s or even 40s while parts of northern Maine will have lows in the teens and 20s.

“This will be the end of the arctic air, at least for a little while,” Wallingford said.

Temperatures are expected to drop again with a possible storm system moving in late in the week.