Snowfall, in inches, by 2:45 p.m. Tuesday:

* Lewiston: 2.8

• Bridgton: 4.4 

• Gray: 4.0

• New Gloucester: 2.7 

• North Conway, N.H.: 3 

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• Otisfield: 2.0

• Yarmouth: 2.3

Yes, it snowed on April 26. It was also a little history in the making.

Since the National Weather Service started keeping track in 1871, measurable snow has fallen in Maine only 15 times on April 26 or later.

“By 2 or 2:15 (p.m.), it should be about over with, fortunately,” meteorologist Tom Hawley said. “We don’t want it to last too much longer.”

By 3 p.m., the snow had stopped in the Lewiston-Auburn area. When it was all said and done, 2.2 inches had fallen at the Portland International Jetport. The record snowfall for the date in Portland was 1.9 inches on April 26, 1887. The National Weather Service announced the new record late in the afternoon Tuesday.

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Earlier in the day, police in Auburn had to shut down a section of Riverside Drive to handle a five-car, weather-related accident near Bell Farms, according to Deputy Chief Jason Moen. No one was injured. 

“They’ve been out plowing and sanding,” said Dan Goyette, Auburn’s director of Public Services.

Scattered accidents were reported throughout the region.

Goyette said he wasn’t surprised so much that it was snowing, but that it was sticking and not turning to rain.

Hawley said temperatures were expected to drop Tuesday night.

“Any water on the roads may freeze,” he said. “We could see some black ice issues tomorrow morning.” 

He predicted a high of 45 degrees for Wednesday. And no snow.


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