Maine weather is rarely predictable, but right now, it’s being downright dramatic. Honestly, if you’ve lived in Kennebec County for more than a week, you know the drill: don't like the temperature? Just wait twenty minutes.
But what’s happening today, Thursday, January 15, 2026, is more than just a local quirk. We’re watching a massive atmospheric shift. Currently, Augusta is sitting at 41°F under a heavy blanket of clouds. It feels a bit like a fake spring, doesn’t it? That 41°F is well above our historical average high of 28°F for mid-January. It’s almost comfortable, if you ignore the 95% humidity making the air feel thick and damp.
The "feels like" temperature is hanging around 37°F thanks to a 7 mph breeze from the southwest. But here is the thing—that warmth is a total trap.
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The Sudden Cold Front: What the Weather Forecast Augusta Maine is Hiding
Enjoy the thaw while it lasts. By tonight, the script flips entirely. A sharp cold front is currently barreling toward the capital, and it’s going to bring an abrupt end to this unseasonable mildness.
Basically, we’re looking at a temperature "cliff."
While we hit a high of 42°F today, the low for tonight is expected to plummet to 21°F. That is a 20-degree drop in a matter of hours. The National Weather Service out of Gray has been tracking this "sharp cold front" and warns that by tomorrow morning, wind chills could be in the single digits—or even below zero in some spots.
Tonight’s Transition
- Condition: Cloudy skies will give way to light snow.
- Precipitation: There's a 20% chance of snow tonight as the front passes.
- Wind: Shifting from a gentle south wind to blustery northwesterly gusts.
The roads might look okay now, but the rapidly lowering dewpoints could create some sneaky icy spots for the Friday morning commute. If you’re heading down Western Avenue or taking I-95 tomorrow morning, give yourself an extra ten minutes. Seriously.
Why January 15th is Historically Weird in Augusta
January 15 is actually a pivotal date for Augusta's climate. According to long-term data from sources like WeatherSpark, today is statistically one of the clearest days of the month—or at least it has a 49% chance of being clear. This year? Not so much. We’ve got 97% humidity and total cloud cover.
Historically, this is also the day when we hit the "lowest average high" of the year at 28°F. The fact that we are currently sitting at 41°F tells a larger story about the 2025-2026 winter season. We’ve seen a trend toward "wetter and warmer" winters lately, often influenced by the warming Gulf of Maine, which is heating up faster than 95% of the world's oceans. This leads to more rain-snow mix events rather than the classic "plowable" snow we used to expect every week.
Weekend Outlook: Is More Snow Coming?
If you were hoping for a major storm to hit the Bond Brook Recreation Area for some skiing, the news is... okay-ish.
- Friday: Much colder. Highs will likely stay in the 20s. The wind will make it feel brutal, but it will be dry and VFR (Visual Flight Rules) for any local pilots.
- Saturday: A weak shortwave moves in. We’re looking at a quick inch or two of snow. It’s not a blizzard, but enough to make the secondary roads "slick" by the afternoon.
- Sunday: Things quiet down, but it remains chilly.
Don't Get Caught Off Guard: Actionable Steps
Winter in Augusta is an endurance sport. With the temperature about to tank, here is what you actually need to do before sunset today.
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Check your pipes. When the temperature drops 20 degrees in one night, that's when older Maine homes suffer. If you have pipes on an exterior wall, maybe let a faucet drip tonight.
Layer up properly. The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) always harps on this, but it matters: ditch the cotton. Use wool or synthetic base layers for tomorrow morning. When the wind chill hits near zero, cotton is your enemy because it traps moisture (and remember, we have 95% humidity right now).
Gas up. Keep that tank at least half full. It prevents the fuel lines from freezing during these 40-to-20 degree swings.
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Watch for "Black Ice." Since it’s 41°F now and will be 21°F later, any standing water from today’s dampness is going to turn into a skating rink by 6:00 AM tomorrow.
Stay warm out there. The weather forecast for Augusta, Maine is a reminder that in the Pine Tree State, "normal" is just a setting on the dryer.