GRAY (AP) – Maine got off easy with only a few inches of blowing powder from a winter storm that barged into New England from the ocean, burying some parts of the region under 18 inches of snow and claiming at least one motorist’s life.
While accumulations were not great in most of Maine, the storm caught many drivers off guard. Several had slid off the southern leg of the Maine Turnpike below Falmouth by Monday morning’s commute, state police at the Gray barracks said. State police farther north in Orono said only a few accidents were reported.
Maine’s Down East region got the brunt of the storm, with a 10-inch accumulation reported in Dennysville. Lighter accumulations were expected in other parts of the state, including in the mountains where skiers were headed for holiday vacations. Southern coastal areas expected 2- to 4-inch totals.
Winds gusting up to 25 mph in some areas caused snow drifts, adding to the difficulty for motorists and lashing those outside with vicious wind chills that made it feel like it was well below zero.
Temperatures in Maine dipped into the single numbers and teens and weren’t expected to get much above 20 degrees in the warmest spots in the state Monday. The snow was expected to taper off as Monday continued, but forecasters said the cold temperatures would remain through Tuesday.
In Massachusetts, residents had to dig out from up to 18 inches of snow from the storm that left as many as 22,000 utility customers across Cape Cod and southeastern parts of the state in the dark. Emergency shelters were opened in Falmouth and Eastham, Mass., and a woman was killed in a snow-related highway accident in Leominster on Sunday.
Logan International Airport in Boston was operating a single runway on Monday morning, and “substantial” delays were expected, airport spokesman Phil Orlandella said.
Portland International Jetport in Maine reported only minor delays due to the weather, and bus lines said some delays could be expected on routes to Boston. Rhode Island’s regional airport closed temporarily and cars skidded off roadways as that state received between 6 and 10 inches of snow.
Parts of New Hampshire’s Seacoast had about four inches of snow and were forecast to get another inch or two before the storm moved out to sea.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.