Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Old Orchard Beach, ME

NEAR TERM /TODAY/
The dense fog advisory remains in effect for the coastal plain and portions of central ME for early this morning. Several observations continue to show 1/4 mile or less visibilities.

The fog will thin and lift during the morning hours and the low clouds will thin as well allowing for periods of strong solar radiation. This will yield high temperatures well into the 70s to around 80 at many locations. The caveat will be along the coast where stratus and fog will likely remain, especially on the Midcoast. This along with easterly winds will allow for much cooler temperatures there.

While the temperatures and dewpoints will aid in a good amount of surface-based CAPE this afternoon, forcing for ascent will be minimal at best so most of the afternoon will remain dry aside from a couple of pop-up showers and storms here and there. A slightly more organized short wave trough along with height falls will approach late in the day possibly allowing for a somewhat greater coverage in showers and thunderstorms into the evening hours.

Fog should start rolling back inland toward sunset.

SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH 6 PM SATURDAY/
Dense fog will once again be possible on the coastal plain overnight as the air mass remains rather moist and stagnant with light onshore flow.

Otherwise, after a few evening showers and perhaps a few thunderstorms it should be mostly dry overnight. However, a few showers and an isolated thunderstorm cannot be ruled out as heights continue to fall.

Upper level low pressure approaches on Saturday along with an attendant warm front and occlusion. The increased forcing for ascent will allow for a showery and cooler day. The warm front and associated triple point will attempt to get into southern NH during the afternoon and this would allow for temperatures there to rise well into the 70s while most of the rest of the forecast area remains in the 50s and 60s. This warm front and triple point could be a focus for more robust thunderstorms across southern and perhaps western NH during the afternoon hours and this will continue to be monitored.

LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/
Key Points:

-Rainy weekend ahead, with most consistent rainfall expected from heavy showers Saturday afternoon.

-Showery conditions on Sunday with widespread light rain north of the mountains.

-Showery weather wraps up Monday evening, with a drier Tuesday/Wednesday.

-Unsettled weather returns for the end of next week.

Details:

Sunday, the center of the low moves across northern NH and ME, allowing for more light rain Sunday with some showers also making down to the rest of NH and Maine. The low may hover over NH and ME for a while, continuing the showers possibly through Monday evening.

Conditions should dry out at least a little by Tuesday as the aforementioned low moves off into the Atlantic. The end of the week may feature unsettled weather as another upper-level low moves in from the southwest.

AVIATION /07Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
Short Term...IFR to LIFR conditions likely at most terminals through about 13z (especially coastal terminals). Vsbys and cigs will rise through the morning hours with many locations VFR by early afternoon except perhaps at RKD. Low stratus and fog rolls back in tonight.

Long term...Restrictions may be down during showers, a few thunderstorms and rain that will be moving through the area Saturday through Monday. At this time, the best chances to see reduced restrictions look to arrive Saturday evening as a front moves across the NH and ME.

MARINE
Short Term...Light winds and seas generally less than 3 feet are expected through today and tonight. However, fog will be an issue on the waters today and tonight with vsbys 1/2 mile or less.

Long Term...Southeasterly flow at 8-14kts expected on Saturday.
A low moves across the area, shifting winds to the southwest at 7-10kts by Sunday. As the low continues to move out to sea, winds shift to northwesterlies at 11-17kts by Monday, with winds staying there through Wednesday morning. Seas of 2-4ft are expected Saturday through Wednesday.

GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
ME...Dense Fog Advisory until 9 AM EDT this morning for MEZ018>028.
NH...Dense Fog Advisory until 9 AM EDT this morning for NHZ014.
MARINE...None.