LEWISTON – Central Maine’s steady snowfall this winter has been heavy but likely won’t qualify for federal financial help.

Joanne Potvin, director of Androscoggin United Emergency Management Agency, said federal aid for winter storms usually depends on heavy snowfall during a single storm.

“It has to have almost a catastrophic impact on life and safety, during a single storm,” Potvin said. Heavy snowfall over a long winter doesn’t count.

“They don’t look at cumulative snowfall over time but the impact from a single storm,” Potvin said. “And we just haven’t had that storm this year.”

Heavy winter storms have sauntered across Maine 19 times so far this winter, dropping 102 inches total in Lewiston alone.

“That doesn’t fit their criteria of catastrophic,” Potvin said. “They’re looking for something like several feet of snow over three days, and that hasn’t happened.”

Lewiston officials have asked for Potvin’s help appealing for financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The officials cited the multiple winter storms, coupled with higher fuel prices and possible cuts in state road maintenance money.

Potvin said she’s had similar requests from Durham and Mechanic Falls. She’s asking for snowplowing budget costs from the county’s communities and will forward that information on to the Maine Emergency Management Agency in Augusta next week.

“We’ll see what happens,” Potvin said Thursday. “If the expenses add up, we may qualify for something.”

Maine towns and counties received $8.5 million in federal help in 2005 to pay for costs related to four major snowstorms in January, February and March.

Androscoggin County received $797,336 from FEMA for salt, sand, fuel for plowing trucks and overtime for drivers. Lewiston got $198,622 for the storms while Auburn got $152,026.