Monday’s snowstorm may be a harbinger of more to come before spring arrives March 20, National Weather Service meteorologist John Jensenius said Monday.

“It’s a chilly start to March,” he said, and it could lead to at least another snowstorm before spring, possibly Sunday, he said. “Don’t put those snow shovels away yet.”

While snow showers tapered off Monday evening, temperatures remained significantly lower than normal and were expected to hover there through the week, he said.

For winter recreation enthusiasts, Monday’s storm was positively lovely.

“I love the crispness, the snow, the wind, the winter sports, playing in the snow,” said Maggie Chisholm of Auburn, director of the Lewiston Recreation Department. “There’s just a whole set of activities – different from the summer – to get out there and do with your family and friends.”

And clearing snow is good exercise, and a lot of fun, Chisholm said.

Diane Moreau, co-owner and vice president of operations at Lost Valley in Auburn, said she was thrilled to watch the long lines at the ski hill Monday.

“It’s unbelievable. We’re back to winter,” Moreau said. “The beautiful, white, fluffy snow is amazing. We love it; we’re excited.”

At Shawnee Peak in Bridgton there was much the same enthusiasm. While the mountain didn’t get more than 3 inches of fresh powder, marketing director Melissa Rock welcomed it just the same.

“It’s definitely a good thing after Friday night,” Rock said. “It’s like mid-winter in March.”

The first winter storm of March dropped roughly 9 inches of snow in the Twin Cities, making travel slippery.

Jon Elie, operations manager for Lewiston’s highway division, said that despite seven trucks being out of service from a half-hour to three hours during the storm, crews were able to keep up with plowing and sanding.

“It’s a good amount of snow, but still a relatively easy storm for us to handle; the snow was light and dry,” Elie said.

“What we received here is, I think, pretty average. The intensity was fairly average, which allowed crews to keep up with the snowfall,” said Bob Belz, public works director for the city of Auburn.

“Other than the annual getting-tired-of-winter, crews are holding up very well,” Belz said.

Lewiston and Auburn police reported no serious accidents.

In both cities, parking bans are in effect until 7 a.m. Tuesday. Any vehicle parked in violation will be towed at the owner’s expense, officials said.