Winter won’t relent

March showed its “out like a lamb” side a bit early Tuesday, with sunshine and temperatures throughout much of central Maine reaching the mid 40s.

For a moment, jackets came off, ice-encrusted sidewalks became passable and scruffy remnants of last year’s grass poked through sand-laden sod.

That was when the easily ignored winter storm watch turned into a warning.

According to WGME Weather, snow from Winter Storm Vulcan is supposed to make its appearance in Maine on Wednesday morning and remain through early Thursday afternoon.

The coast should see a changeover to freezing precipitation, returning to snow by Thursday morning, keeping accumulations low. Central Maine is expected to see less freezing rain and more light, fluffy snow.

Fryeburg through Lewiston and Augusta are expected to get 10 to 16 inches, according to Tuesday night estimates. Areas farther inland, from Rumford to Rangeley, and especially the mountains can see as much as 20 inches.

WGME predicts winds gusting to 40 mph between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning and warns of possible power outages.

Central Maine Power issued a news release Tuesday, telling people to prepare for outages.

“The wet snow forecast for Thursday could build up on tree limbs, power lines and roadways,” CMP spokeswoman Gail Rice wrote. “Combined with gusty winds, this could result in power interruptions and difficult travel, so we’re getting crews, equipment and materials in place to respond.”

Rice wrote that any downed line should be considered “live and dangerous.” She advised customers to leave cleanup to CMP crews, who are trained and equipped to handle it.

The city of Auburn issued a parking ban from 5 p.m. Wednesday to midnight Thursday except in the newly formed Business District Zone, which is exempt from the parking ban between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

The city of Lewiston issued a parking ban from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday.

The storm should wrap up Thursday, with sun arriving Friday and milder temperatures forecast for Saturday.

dmcintire@sunjournal.com

: Mike Mitchell of Splash Trucking in Turner looks in the rearview mirror of his tractor-trailer as 32 tons of salt offloads into the storage shed at the Public Works facility on River Road in Lewiston. He was part of a three-truck shipment that was making a delivery Tuesday morning from South Portland.