The forecast for the season’s largest snowstorm lived up to its billing.
Residents across the state found themselves digging out from nearly a foot to more than 2 feet of snow Monday, while high winds and squalls resulted in a slow cleanup lasting well into the night.
All of this came as forecasts called for the potential of a foot of snow Wednesday into Thursday.
The nor’easter that hit southern and central Maine on Sunday afternoon resulted in government offices, businesses, schools and colleges being closed.
Even hospitals, such as Central Maine Medical Center, closed everything but emergency care and essential services to patients. Central Maine Healthcare’s satellite hospitals in Bridgton and Rumford did the same.
Meteorologists forecast 1 to 4 inches of snow per hour as bands of snow moved across the state. Residents were asked to stay off roads for safety and cleanup reasons.
According to the National Weather Service, snowfall totals were the highest along the midcoast and in parts of Kennebec and Lincoln counties. Places in the midcoast region had limited visibility and sustained winds of 35 mph or higher.
The National Weather Service said Lewiston got 15.3 inches and Auburn had 16 inches.
Among the highest snow totals reported were Nobleboro and Jefferson at 27 inches, and Vassalboro at 26 inches. Augusta, Boothbay Harbor and Waldoboro also saw 24 inches.
Throughout the storm, the Maine Turnpike Authority posted updates via social media on crashes, delays and other travel alerts. Speed was reduced to 45 mph from the New Hampshire state line to mile 109 in Augusta.
“We are urging all citizens to stay off roads unless absolutely necessary,” Maine State Police said in a Facebook post. “The roads are treacherous and visibility is reduced down to only a couple hundred yards at best. There are dozens of vehicles off the road and even plow trucks and cruisers are getting stuck.”
State police also issued a statement Monday asking commercial tractor-trailer units to “stay off the interstate if at all possible and get some rest at a truck stop.”
Multiple truck crashes were reported on the interstate Monday morning.
“We are having multiple crashes resulting in the blocking of roadways and ramps causing traffic to come dangerously to a stop,” the statement said. “This is an extra burden to DOT as they have to react to open up the roads at the site of the incident and not conduct their normal plow operations. The snowfall is so heavy that visibility has been an issue staying on the Interstate and we care about your safety.”
Lewiston Public Works was in full swing Monday. Director David Jones posted regular updates via social media. As of 9 a.m. Monday, he said the “B-team” was coming in to replace primary plow operators who had been working overtime. Unfortunately, he said, the B-team didn’t have enough people to man every plow, meaning five front-end loaders and three plow trucks would be parked.
He said the high snow totals caused a dangerous buildup in roads.
“Right now, we have some streets narrowed up so much, if you meet a car coming the other way, you can’t pass each other,” he said. “This effort will result in many people’s driveways getting a pile at the end again and we are sorry. We will try our best to minimize this, but we need to do this to keep the streets open and safe.”
Sunday River Resort in Newry reported it got 23 inches of snow in 24 hours.
A news release from spokeswoman Darcy Lambert said this is in addition to the 24 inches the resort has seen since the start of the month. The mountain has already seen double the snow it had this time last year, she said.
Lambert said the mountain is “100 percent open across all eight of its interconnected peaks.”
Despite the high winds across the state, power outages remained minimal Monday. As of 4 p.m., Central Maine Power reported 209 customers without power in Knox and Somerset counties.
“Winter Storm Orson was not too tough on our system,” a Central Maine Power social media post said Monday afternoon. But, the company said, crews were out repairing a few downed poles and other damage.
With cleanup efforts still underway, WGME released a map for a snowstorm forecast for Wednesday into Thursday that showed totals of between 8 and 12 inches.
Snow totals
Androscoggin County
Auburn: 16.0″
Lewiston: 15.3″
Durham: 12.3″
Cumberland County
South Portland: 16.5″
Portland Jetport: 15.1″
Bridgton: 15.0″
Gray, National Weather Service office: 12.2″
Cumberland: 12.0″
Kennebec County
Vassalboro: 26.0″
Benton: 26.0″
Augusta: 24.0″
Waterville: 23.3″
Winslow: 23.0″
Franklin County
Farmington: 14.5″
New Sharon: 13.0″
Source: National Weather Service, Gray
This weekend’s storm is nearly on par with the record snowfall totals from past Maine storms.
Dec 27-28, 1946: 21 inches
Feb 9-10, 1969: 21.5 inches
Dec 17-18, 1970: 22.3 inches
Feb 25-27, 1934: 22.7 inches
Jan 23-24, 1935: 23.3 inches
Feb 17-18, 1952: 25.3 inches
Jan 17-17, 1979: 27.1 inches
Feb 8-9, 2013: 31.9 inches
Gavin Dennison, left, Philip Lee and Nyrell Gabbin look for small snow shoveling jobs in Lewiston on Monday. “Trying to make a few bucks,” said Dennison.
A man jogs across Court Street in downtown Auburn on Monday morning. Many businesses and government offices closed so people did not have to drive on the snow-covered roads.
Nathan Fraser, right, gets a hand from Bruce Labrecque with a dead car battery in Lewiston on Monday morning. Labrecque was plowing snow when he saw the stranded motorist. Labrecque pulled the stuck car out of the driveway and gave Fraser a jump. “He was a real lifesaver today,” Fraser said.
Matthew Agren clears snow from his driveway along East Avenue in Lewiston during Monday’s Nor-easter.
Al Newton rests on his car mirror as he takes a break from shoveling snow on Elm Street in Auburn on Monday. “As old as I am, you have to take a break,” said Newton, 76. “My old bones don’t take it like they used to.”
A fire hydrant is buried in snow at Main and Court streets in Auburn on Monday. The city’s snowfall total was 16 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Marc Dubois blows snow from the walkway in front of his home on East Avenue in Lewiston on Monday morning.
Pam shovels her driveway along East Avenue in Lewiston on Monday morning. Pam asked that her last name not be published.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
