Crews plow first snow

RANGELEY — State trucks headed up to northern Franklin and Oxford counties Tuesday morning to plow for the first time this season. Snow fell in low-lying areas as well as higher elevations, though most melted as soon as it hit the ground.

A dusting of snow covered some yards in Jay and Buckfield and other towns, while more snow fell in Andover, Rangeley and Eustis. It was still snowing late morning in Eustis. Most places were receiving rain while some had a mixture of snow and rain.

The most snow hit the mountain tops with 6 to 8 inches falling on Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley and more than 4 inches falling on Saddleback Mountain in Dallas Plantation. The latter had its first snowfall Oct. 1. An unofficial 3 inches of snow is said to have fallen on Streaked Mountain in Buckfield.

"The grass is covered but the roads are not too bad," Rangeley police Chief Dennis Leahy said early Tuesday. "It is the first snow. I'm waiting for the accidents."

There was no reported snowfall in Androscoggin County, National Weather Service meteorologist George Wiseman said. However, there were reported snowfalls as of 9:30 a.m. in Andover, ½ inch; Eustis, 1 inch; and in Phillips, less than an inch, Wiseman said.

State plow trucks headed up north of Route 2 Tuesday morning with one worker reporting up 2 inches in Dallas Plantation area in Franklin County, said Norm Haggan, Region 3 manager for the Maine Department of Transportation.

Other crews headed to the border near New Hampshire to plow the Upton and Grafton Township areas in northern Oxford County, he said.

Snow was sticking to the ground in Eustis and Jackman areas.

"We're getting a light snow," weather observer, Betty Wing of Eustis said. She had visibility of about 200 yards but could not see Bigelow Mountain, she said.

The snow started at about 3:45 a.m. and was still falling at 11:30 a.m. They had received 1.5 inches, Wing said, and the temperature had gone up 2 degrees during the morning to 33 degrees, she said.

Weather observer Duane Hayes of West Paris said if the snow had stuck it would have been about ¾ of an inch between 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.

"Nothing accumulated but it did snow pretty good then," Hayes said. "I can see snow up in the hills."

Buckfield Town Clerk Cindy Dunn said that they received snow in that town as well. Resident Perly Lovejoy reported about 3 inches on top of Streaked Mountain.

Weather observer Tom Haggan, brother of Norm Haggan, said about 1 inch fell in Rangeley and a couple inches fell on Chick Hill in that town, which is at a higher elevation.

"It is a little bit earlier," Tom Haggan said of the date of snowfall. "But quite often we have snow in early October. So it's no big surprise. Not wanted, that's for sure."

dperry@sunjournal.com