Happy New Year. Now get out there and shovel.
A blizzard roared through Maine on Thursday, dumping more than a foot of snow that was then blown into great heaps by winds gusting to 50 mph.
The storm began Thursday morning, dropping 13 inches on Lewiston throughout the day. By 8 p.m., 15 inches had been recorded in Turner and more than a foot of new snow was on the ground in South Paris.
In Lisbon Falls, 12 inches was reported before 6 p.m., and the snow was still coming hard.
By nightfall, power outages were scattered across the state, with about 4,000 Central Maine Power customers in the dark at 8 p.m. Almost all of those customers were in Lincoln County. By 9 p.m., CMP had that number whittled down to fewer than 900 customers without power.
CMP officials said they had full crews ready to take on outages as they occurred. In addition to power lines straining under the weight of snow, officials worried that gusting winds would bring down lines.
Across the region, cars and truck slid into snowbanks, trees and one another throughout the day. Many minor crashes were reported, but it could have been worse: By the supper hour, road traffic in most areas was nearly nonexistent. In downtown Lewiston, there were more people on foot than in cars.
Schools, government offices and many businesses never opened Thursday, meaning far less traffic during commuting hours.
Winds gusted up to 50 mph across the area, causing whiteout conditions that made driving even more perilous. The strongest winds were expected after 7 p.m. Thursday.
All day long, roads became blanketed with snow faster than city crews could plow them. A common sight across the region: cars stuck at intersections where snow piled up in the corners. In most cases, drivers scrambled out of their vehicles to help push the disabled motorist to safety.
At the grocery stores, lines were long and parking lots full early in the day. Most shoppers were stocking up on water, batteries, bread and milk before the storm reached full force. One Auburn woman, Trina Poulin, said she was forced out into the storm because her cat was out of food.
By 5 p.m., it was a different story. At Shaw’s and Hannaford stores in Lewiston, it was spooky quiet, with only a handful of customers seen wandering the aisles. Parking lots at both were nearly empty.
Police and fire crews were busy handling many issues. For firefighters, the day’s many calls included carbon monoxide concerns, frozen sprinklers and broken water pipes.
At about 8 p.m., police and fire crews were sent to Mount Auburn Avenue and Turner Street, where a plow had slammed into a utility pole, breaking the pole into several pieces.
By that point, the storm was pretty much over in the Twin Cities. The snow began to taper at about 7 p.m., and by about 8 p.m. it had stopped. Winds still howled, though, and blew the newly fallen snow into massive drifts. Those winds were expected to continue throughout the night.
The storm impeded travel, as well. The Portland Jetport acted early and announced Wednesday it had canceled all flights for Thursday. Several of Friday’s flights have also been canceled. Ticket-holders are urged to call airlines for updates.
The Amtrak Downeaster announced it had canceled trains 685 and 688, but all other trains were scheduled to operate Thursday. Amtrak officials warned travelers to expect delays.
Concord Coach Lines canceled all bus service Thursday from Maine, New Hampshire, Boston and New York.
Greyhound canceled service in Maine from midnight Thursday through 8 a.m. Friday.
The snow in many areas was expected to continue into late Thursday or early Friday. Wind chills could dip as low as minus 5, forecasters said, with winds decreasing after midnight to 15 to 20 mph.
With frigid weather expected to return on the heels of Thursday’s blizzard, some communities were opening warming centers. By late Thursday, centers were operating in Freeport and Oxford.
Snowfall was expected to be greater north and east of Lewiston-Auburn, with as much as 18 inches expected Down East.
Energy and utility companies reminded customers to keep exhaust vents, gas meters and regulators clear of snow and ice.
Cindy Neff walks home from the grocery store in downtown Lewiston on Thursday. “Now I don’t need to exercise tonight,” Neff said. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)
Nathaniel Bigos-Lowe of Auburn skis the powder at Lost Valley in Auburn on Thursday. Bigos-Lowe and his brother Harry got lucky when school was canceled because of the storm and Lost Valley opened early. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)
“I’m still a kid at heart and like all this snow,” said Jane Berry Harlow as she shoveled out her furnace vent at The Berry Farm in Auburn on Thursday. “But this cold can take a hike.” (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)
“This is brutal,” said Trina Poulin in the parking lot of Hannaford supermarket in Auburn on Thursday. Poulin said the lack of cat food for her cat Mazy forced her to venture out into Thursday’s storm. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)
A bald eagle watches over the Androscoggin River during Thursday’s storm in Lewiston. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)
Genah Gul of Lewiston walks Pine Street on Thursday afternoon. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
Alex Helms of Poland finds the powder while skiing at Lost Valley in Auburn on Thursday. Lost Valley opened early when word got out that area schools were closed because of the storm. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)
A Western Express truck is seen Thursday outside Auburn resident Bill Hamilton’s window on Goff Hill. The truck is being winched up the hill by Greeley’s Garage towing service after the tractor-trailer became stuck on the hill. When Greeley’s could not tow the truck up the hill, workers moved the tractor-trailer a few yards at a time using two winches attached to the tow truck. (Bill Hamilton photo)
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