The calendar still says it’s fall, but the weather says the seasons have turned.
By Lindsay Tice
Staff Writer

LEWISTON – It was a great weekend for skiers.

But not for drivers.

The season’s first big snowstorm, which blustered its way up the coast Saturday, hung around all day Sunday. From Boothbay, which got 8 and a half inches of snow, to Rangeley, which saw 41 inches, the storm blanketed most of the state in winter white.

“This is incredible because we will be set up for the season,” said Wende Gray, executive director of the Maine Nordic Ski Council, after measuring 32 inches of snow in her Bethel backyard.

Some western parts of the state got nearly 3 feet of snow, while accumulations in other inland sections were well over a foot and creeping toward the 2-foot level.

As of early evening Sunday, Auburn had 17 and a half inches of snow. Fryeberg had 19 inches. Rumford had 30 inches.

But in many towns, the snow seemed much deeper as the storm’s heavy winds created waist-deep snowdrifts.

Portland and Bangor airports canceled flights due to the storm, and Central Maine Power Co. reported scattered outages due to snow and gusty winds. Farther north, Bangor Hydro Electric reported 700 outages, most of them in the Sebec area.

Winds in Down East coastal areas exceeded 50 mph. Lewiston saw wind gusts up to 24 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

The wind and snow caused the largest headaches for drivers. State police said most motorists who ventured onto the highways while the storm raged Saturday and Sunday drove carefully and slowly, but there were some who lost control and skidded off highways or flipped over. State police in Orono said one woman reported she was blown off the highway by a powerful gust.

No serious injuries were reported.

Auburn police were kept busy as drivers slid off the road or into parked cars in the city’s shopping centers. Accidents were minor and only one person reported a slight injury.

On the other side of the bridge, Lewiston police said they had seen few accidents. Sunday was unusually quiet.

“It’s been nice,” said Sgt. Michael McGonagle.

Parking bans were in effect in both Lewiston and Auburn until early Monday morning. Most people kept their cars off the street.

Instead, tow truck drivers stayed busy dragging vehicles out of snowdrifts.

“It’s been really crazy,” said Tim Derboghosian, owner of T&M Professional Towing in Lewiston.

He spent most of his weekend towing cars that had plowed into snowy embankments or had gotten stuck on the street.

“The first storm of the year, people forget how to drive,” he said.

But not how to shop.

Despite the storm, many stores remained open Sunday to accommodate Christmas shoppers. At Wal-Mart in Auburn, Assistant Manager Wendy Mitchell said she saw a definite drop in customers, “but there are still people in here shopping.”

Many were going for Wal-Mart’s stock of snowblowers and shovels. The store sold out of them Sunday.

Mainers can expect better weather for digging out on Monday. The National Weather Service predicts the day will be mostly sunny, with highs in the low 30s.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

ltice@sunjournal.com

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