George Lowell of New Vineyard shovels snow Thursday in front of The Homestead Kitchen, Bar & Bakery on Broadway in downtown Farmington. Lowell helps several shops keep their entrances clear during storms.
FARMINGTON — A wind-driven snowstorm Thursday reduced visibility and slicked roads in greater Franklin County.
Schools, county and state offices, courts and some town offices and businesses closed early.
Regional School Unit 73’s first budget meeting scheduled for Thursday night was canceled.
A few vehicles slid off roads but there were no serious accidents as of noon, said Kyle Ellis, a supervisor at the Franklin County Regional Communications Center in Farmington.
It was the same in Livermore Falls, Police Chief Ernest Steward Jr. said.
Regional School Unit 9 in the Farmington area, RSU 73 in the Jay area and RSU 78 in Rangeley sent students home early. SAD 58 in the Phillips area already had an early release day scheduled so staff could participate in professional development, Superintendent Susan Pratt said.
National Weather Service cooperative observer Dennis Pike of Farmington said at noon the amount of snow forecast was 5 to 8 inches, up slightly from an earlier projection in the Farmington area.
Temperatures were also forecast to get colder and the wind to pick up.
The snow is light and fluffy so there may be some drifting as the storm progresses, Pike said.
More snow is forecast in coming days.