Ice Storm Warning 12/21 10:27 PM (Update)

Think back to 1998 and the ice storm. That came out of nowhere. Remember how devastating that was? We have the strong potential of another ice storm to hit the region tonight into tomorrow, Saturday into Sunday.

The National Weather Service in Caribou has issued a Ice Storm Warning with the possibility of 1/2 to 3/4 inch of ice. That will cause power outages

Bangor Hydro Electric Company is prepared as you can see and offers some advice

Customers are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of extended outages, should predictions of up to three quarters of an inch of ice materialize. Those using generators and alternate heat sources should be sure to follow manufacturers’ instructions. It’s also recommended to have generators professionally installed.

“Our crews may be working around the clock in what could be very bad weather conditions,” said Susan Faloon, Communications Supervisor. “We ask customers to stay clear of our trucks to avoid unnecessary safety risks.”

The goal is to restore power to all customers as quickly as possible. Crews will assess the damage to the system and restore large transmission lines first followed by substations. Distribution lines are cleared starting closest to the substation and working to the end of each line. By following the flow of power through the system, we can restore service to the greatest number of customers most efficiently. During this process, we also give priority to restoring service to emergency and communications services.

“If you see a downed power line, please do not touch or attempt to move it,” Faloon said. “Please allow our experienced crews to address these dangerous situations.”

Customers may call Bangor Hydro’s Service Center to report a power outage, downed line or other power emergency at 1-800-440-1111.

Here's the latest update 3:16 PM Saturday from the National Weather Service which now includes Ellsworth and Bar Harbor as well as the Bangor area

CENTRAL PENOBSCOT-SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT-INTERIOR HANCOCK-
CENTRAL WASHINGTON-COASTAL HANCOCK-COASTAL WASHINGTON-
SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN WASHINGTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LINCOLN...HOWLAND...SPRINGFIELD...
BANGOR...BREWER...ORONO...OLD TOWN...AMHERST...AURORA...DEDHAM...
EASTBROOK...GREAT POND...ORLAND...DEBLOIS...GRAND LAKE STREAM...
MEDDYBEMPS...PEMBROKE...PERRY...PRINCETON...ELLSWORTH...
BAR HARBOR...BLUE HILL...EASTPORT...MACHIAS...CHERRYFIELD...
DOVER-FOXCROFT...MILO...GUILFORD...DANFORTH...VANCEBORO...
TOPSFIELD
1027 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013

...ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST MONDAY...

AN ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST MONDAY.

* LOCATIONS...CENTRAL PENOBSCOT...SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS AND 
  NORTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES.

* ACCUMULATIONS...ICE ACCRETION OF ONE HALF TO THREE QUARTERS 
  INCH THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION 
  LATE TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. AROUND ONE INCH OF SLEET 
  ACCUMULATION.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...MID TEENS TO LOW 20S.

* IMPACTS...HIGH IMPACT LATER TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN ICE STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS
WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY
DISCOURAGED. COMMERCE WILL LIKELY BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. IF YOU
MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR
VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND WINDS WILL
LIKELY LEAD TO SNAPPED POWER LINES AND FALLING TREE BRANCHES THAT
ADD TO THE DANGER. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR
FAVORITE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION FOR THE LATEST UPDATES.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/CAR.

Here's a video from the National Weather Service in Caribou