GRAY — The latest storm is expected to hit the Maine coast harder than inland areas tonight.

Parts of Maine could see upward of 9 inches by the time the storm pushes off the coast Wednesday afternoon, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Hawley in Gray. 

The National Weather Service winter weather advisory says 3 to 5 inches is expected to accumulate from 2 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday in Androscoggin, southern Franklin, southern Somerset, Cumberland and Kennebec Counties.

All high school games in the Lewiston-Auburn area have been postponed.

The city of Lewiston has declared a winter parking ban in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday through 7 a.m. Wednesday. Auburn’s parking ban runs from 11 p.m. Tuesday through 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Overnight, the frigid temperatures caused some problems. The NWS reported that Lewiston-Auburn temperatures fell to -11. The extreme cold temporarily shut down the bus system after sub-zero temperatures froze air lines that run hydraulic and steering systems.

It was so cold that power cables snapped in at least two locations — one in Cumberland County, the other in Somerset County — leaving about 950 homes and businesses without electricity and heat for a couple of hours in subzero temperatures.

“The wires can contract so much to the point that they snap. If it gets super cold, that can happen,” said Gail Rice, a spokeswoman for Central Maine Power.

The tracking website Flightaware.com estimates more than 300 flights were canceled nationwide Tuesday and more than 1,100 were delayed.

Hawley said the storm should end in southern New England by about 6 a.m. Wednesday and finally push off the coast of Maine by early afternoon. Once this system leaves, temperatures will gradually rise and bring rain, snow or a mix of both over the weekend.

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