526 FXUS61 KCAR 261946 AFDCAR AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 347 PM EDT MON AUG 26 2002 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD TOWARD NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND...FROM CANADA...TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT THEN CROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY. .DISCUSSION... CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATED A WEAK COLD FRONT ACROSS THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER VALLEY...WHICH WILL CROSS THE STATE TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD TOWARD NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...THEN CROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY. ALOFT...A VORT MAX ROTATING AROUND AN UPPER LOW NEAR LABRADOR WILL TRACK JUST NORTH OF MAINE TONIGHT. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING THEN BUILDS ACROSS THE REGION LATER TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. CURRENT SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATED SCATTERED/BROKEN CLOUDS ACROSS THE NORTH AND MOUNTAINS...IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT/VORT MAX AND DIURNAL DEVELOPMENT...WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES DOWNEAST. DIURNAL CLOUDS WILL DISSIPATE THIS EVENING WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. HOWEVER...EXPECT SCATTERED CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT ACROSS THE NORTH AND MOUNTAINS PRODUCING PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. RADAR DOES INDICATE SOME SHOWERS/SPRINKLES NORTH OF THE SAINT JOHN RIVER VALLEY...NEARER THE APPROACHING VORT MAX. HOWEVER...EXPECT THIS PRECIPITATION WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA AND DISSIPATE WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. ACROSS DOWNEAST AREAS...SKIES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS TONIGHT WILL RANGE FROM NEAR 50 NORTH TO 50 TO 55 DOWNEAST. EXPECT ENOUGH DIURNAL CLOUD DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE NORTH AND MOUNTAINS TUESDAY TO PRODUCE PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. RIDGING...DRIER AIR AND DOWNSLOPING WINDS SHOULD LIMIT DIURNAL CLOUD DEVELOPMENT DOWNEAST WHERE SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH TEMPERATURES TUESDAY WILL RANGE FROM NEAR 70 NORTH TO THE MID 70S DOWNEAST. DIURNAL CLOUDS WILL DISSIPATE TUESDAY EVENING LEAVING MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TUESDAY NIGHT. LOW TEMPERATURES TUESDAY NIGHT WILL RANGE FROM 40 TO 45 NORTH TO 45 TO 50 DOWNEAST. MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES WILL COVER THE FORECAST AREA WEDNESDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE CROSSING THE REGION AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM NEAR 70 NORTH TO THE MID 70S DOWNEAST. HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD PERSIST WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THEN MOVE TO THE EAST THURSDAY. ANOTHER AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN BUILDING TOWARD THE REGION FROM QUEBEC PROVINCE LATER THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...BEFORE MOVING SOUTH THROUGH THE MARITIMES SATURDAY AND EAST OF THE MARITIMES SUNDAY. MOISTURE SHOULD BEGIN TO RETURN LATER SUNDAY IN THE RETURN FLOW AROUND THE EXITING HIGH...WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS WHICH COULD THEN LINGER EARLY NEXT WEEK. .COASTAL WATERS... WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .CAR...NONE. NORCROSS