Storm cleanup at Auburn-Lewiston airport

Capt. Michael Barnard of the Civil Air Patrol clears snow around a Cessna 172 at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport in Auburn on Tuesday. Barnard lives close by, so after a storm such as Monday’s, he gets the Civil Air Patrol airplanes “mission ready.” The volunteer-based patrol is on standby around the clock, seven days a week.

Ed Lane clears the primary runway at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport in Auburn on Tuesday. Airport Manager Rick Lanman said the airport was shut down Monday because of the nor’easter but reopened at 6 a.m. Tuesday. “We need to get the pavement as clean as we can today so that we can deal with more snow coming in on Wednesday,” Lanman said. While clearing the runway may seem straightforward, digging the runway lights out from under 20 inches of snow is not, he said. “Getting the runway lights visible is just as important as a clean runway,” he said.