As of February 7, the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said the nor'easter steaming up the East Coast is still on track to pummel Maine with up to two feet of snow and excessive wind.

The storm is expected to arrive at noon Friday, Feb. 8 in Lincoln County. It is expected to last for approximately 24 hours with the bulk of the snowfall occurring from 6 p.m., Friday, to 6 a.m., Saturday. (UPDATE: The storm arrived earlier than expected, with 2 inches on the ground in Boothbay by 9 a.m., February 8.)

When the storm clouds depart, the region could be digging out from under more than two feet of snow.

Most of the snow will occur along the coast; current projections put an expected snowfall total of 18-24 inches from Portland to Rockland, while the mountains should expect to see slightly more than a foot of snow.

The coast from Portsmouth, N.H. to Rockland, Maine can expect up to hurricane-force gales and most of the same area has been put under a wind chill advisory. National Weather Service has also issued a warning for possible coastal flooding from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9.

Wind is expected in gusts of more than 50 mph.

The storm started in Texas then wound its way around the Florida panhandle, where it gathered momentum and moisture as it steams north to New England.

Central Maine Power released a statement announcing that the power suppliers would be ready for any outages reported in the state. CMP spokesperson John Carroll said crews would be ready should the high winds and heavy snow knock out power.

“We've put our storm response plan into motion and we're watching the forecast closely,” he said in a release. “High winds are always a concern, and the moisture content of the snow can make a bigger difference than the overall snowfall. We expect deep snow on the roads and tough working conditions, so we're getting crews, equipment and materials in place to respond.”

If outages occur customers can call 1-800-696-1000 to file a report.

Ben Bulkeley can be reached at 207-633-4620 or bbulkeley@boothbayregister.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BBRegisterBen.