One week before the calendar declares the start of winter, Maine was digging out of the second classic northeaster in seven days. By the time the two-day storm ended Monday night, it dumped from 10 to 20 inches or more in western Maine.

“Eustis wins the prize. They’ve got 20 inches and it’s still snowing,” National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Hawley said Monday.

As of Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service recorded 11 inches in Auburn, 10 in Lewiston, 19 inches in Rangeley, 13 in Hartford, and 20 in Gorham, N.H. Snow was still falling when those measurements were taken. By 7 p.m. when the storm had stopped, Gray had 11.2 inches, the National Weather Service reported.

Life slowed down Monday as schools and some businesses closed. Gov. John Baldacci told state workers to stay home, and the Maine Turnpike lowered its speed limit to 45 mph.

Despite slick roads and swirling snow that made driving tough, in Lewiston-Auburn and outlying communities police reported no major problems, and gave motorists credit for having the good sense to stay off the roads. There were only seven accidents in Lewiston between 1 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, compared to four or five crashes on a normal day, police said. In Auburn there were seven accidents, none that inflicted personal injuries, said Lt. Paul Labarre.

“People were great. We appreciate people’s common sense of keeping travel to a minimum. It’s very helpful to police and public works,” Lewiston Sgt. Dave St. Pierre said.

Dispatchers for the State Police in Gray, Oxford, Franklin and Androscoggin counties sheriffs’ departments all reported no major accidents, “just a few slide-offs,” said the Gray dispatcher.

Sunday night on Route 4 in Turner part of the highway was closed briefly to allow two wreckers to get in and help two disabled vehicles that slid off the road across from one another.

Lewiston’s Maineiac junior hockey team’s bus got stuck on the Bartlett Street hill about 5:30 a.m., which resulted in the street being closed until a wrecker could nudge the bus back on its way.

“It was after the players got off,” said team spokesman Matt McKnight, who mused the bus needed the weight of the players and hockey bags. The team was headed back from Prince Edward Island, a 12-hour drive made longer by the snow. “It was slow-going from Bangor,” he said.

While the storm meant a day off for some workers and students, it meant extra work for others.

Like other Auburn Public Works snow plowers, Jeff Lavoie started his shift at 7 a.m. Monday, and wasn’t scheduled to end until 16 hours later, at 11 p.m.

“Sixteen hours is a lot,” Lavoie said during a break. “But there’s so many obstacles you’re looking for, avoiding mail boxes, vehicles – you’re always watching out for traffic – it keeps you awake.” In addition to paying attention, listening to the radio and drinking coffee keeps him alert, he said.

Typically Auburn spends about $1.5 million a year on snow removal, enough to handle a season of 90 inches over 18 “plowable” storms, plus a half-dozen sandings from rain or sleet, said Public Works Director Bob Belz.

With the second big storm in a week, it’s too early for the budget to be in the red, but if the storm-a-week trend were to continue, there would be problems, Belz said.

Monday’s snow created extra work for crews who had not yet fully cleaned up from the first storm, Belz said. A big storm means not only plowing, but opening catch basins to prevent flooding, sanding, clearing sidewalks and hauling snow out of downtown areas.

He’s hoping for 10 storm-free days to clean up, but things aren’t looking good for Belz, or are they?

The National Weather Service is predicting a third storm for Thursday.

“It’s going to be a big storm,” predicted meteorologist Hawley. This one should be rain, which would help snow banks disappear. That could cut back on hauling snow, but flooding could be a problem.”

bwashuk@sunjournal.com

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