Broken pole in Centerville, near Jonesboro in Washington county. This is what our line crews have been working on. pic.twitter.com/AyFSJwbceT
— Bangor Hydro/MPS (@bangorhydro_mps) December 23, 2013
UPDATED 3:55 PM: GRAY — The National Weather Service has extended its ice storm warning until 7 p.m. for Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Oxford and Somerset counties.
UPDATED 3:49 PM: The Lewiston Public Library announced it is closing early at 5 p.m. today.
While the freezing rain continues to cause new outages, it’s hard to pin down estimated restoration times. Crews are doing all they can.
— Central Maine Power (@cmpco) December 23, 2013
Maine Turnpike speeds have been returned to posted normal for the entire length of the Pike from mile 2 in Kittery to Exit 109 in Augusta.
— Maine Turnpike (@MaineTurnpike) December 23, 2013
UPDATED 1:10 PM: AUGUSTA — The Maine Emergency Management Agency reports as the snow, sleet and ice that has been pummeling the state exits the area, it leaves major power outages and dangerous driving conditions across the state.
The National Weather Service has the following warnings and advisories in place:
- Freezing Rain Advisory: York County until 4 p.m. this evening, central Penobscot and northern Washington until 6 p.m.
- Ice Storm Warning: Until 4 p.m. in southern Oxford, Franklin and Somerset, Cumberland, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Waldo, Knox, Sagadahoc, Lincoln. Until 6 p.m. in Southern Penobscot, central and coastal Washington, Hancock Counties.
Winter Weather Advisory: Until 4 p.m. in northern Oxford, Franklin and Penobscot, Piscataquis, southeast Aroostook, central and northern Somerset. - All warnings have expired in the far north.
Driving from Bethel to Portland-my unscientific observations-there is more icing as you drive towards Gray #MEice #MEwx @WesternMEwx
— Merritt (@bethelskier) December 23, 2013
Ice is bringing branches down at the State House. Power flickered once too. #mepolitics pic.twitter.com/QioudUsJ9l
— Mario Moretto (@riocarmine) December 23, 2013
UPDATED 11:27 AM: The city of Lewiston advises motorists that driving conditions have turned dangerous.
"It's certainly not going away," Margaret Curtis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said Monday morning of the precipitation and cold. "In fact, we don't have very many areas where we're expecting temperatures to rise above freezing."
Authorities reduced the speed limit along a 107-mile stretch of the Maine Turnpike from Kittery to Augusta as freezing rain continued to fall Monday morning and temperatures hovered around freezing. Dozens of flights out of Toronto were canceled while other airports in the storm-hit region were faring well despite the weather.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
UPDATED 11 AM: The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning that includes the counties of southern Oxford, southern Franklin and Androscoggin counties. The warning includes freezing rain and expected ice accumulation of half an inch.
The NWS warning covers southern Oxford, southern Franklin, southern Somerset, interior Cumberland, interior Androscoggin, interior Kennebec, interior Waldo, coastal Cumberland, coastal Sagadahoc, coastal Lincoln, coastal Knox and coastal Waldo. That includes the cities of Rumford, Norway, Fryeburg, Oxford, Farmington, Wilton, Madison, Skowhegan, Pittsfield, North Windham, Gorham, Bridgton, Lewiston, Auburn, Livermore Falls, Augusta, Waterville, Winterport, Unity, Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Bath, Topsham, Boothbay Harbor, Wiscasset, Waldoboro, Camden, Rockland, Thomaston, Belfast and Lincolnville.
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