Phil Brienza Jr. installs a brine system to a sander Saturday at Lewiston Public Works. City employees converted 20 trucks over to the new brine system Saturday in anticipation of the incoming snowstorm. Road brine is salt water that is used to melt ice and snow from roads. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
Days of fluctuating forecasts for a banger nor’easter settled on lower numbers for western Maine by Saturday evening, but the storm, as promised, will still be the definitive first big storm this winter.
The National Weather Service said Saturday to expect 1-3 inches of snow, 5-10 mph winds and gusts up to 20 mph for the Lewiston-Auburn area starting around 3 a.m. Sunday. Later Sunday morning into the evening, the area can expect 3-7 inches of snow, slightly higher winds, temperatures with lows into the teens and a 30% chance of snow showers between 7 p.m. and midnight.
Due to the forecast, Auburn, Lewiston and Lisbon have instituted parking bans. Auburn’s ban will run from 11 a.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Monday; Lewiston’s from 1 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday; and Lisbon’s from 1 a.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Monday.
NWS forecaster Greg Cornwell said the Lewiston area will likely get the higher end of the snow total estimate, about 7 inches, but with the snowfall lasting overnight, cleanup efforts should be straightforward.
Chris Williams, left, and Carl Daly install a brine system to a sander Saturday at Lewiston Public Works. City employees converted 20 trucks over to the new brine system Saturday in anticipation of the incoming snowstorm. Road brine is salt water that is used to melt ice and snow from roads. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
“For anywhere south of the foothills it’s kind of the first significant snowfall for this season,” Cornwell said. “The work week shouldn’t be impacted too much from this snowfall, but we do have another system coming.”
Wednesday is expected to bring temperatures approaching the 50s and enough rainfall to melt Sunday’s snow. Cornwell said everyone should be watching for flooding, but it will not be to the magnitude of December’s flooding event.
“It might start as snow in some areas Tuesday night, but I think the bulk of the event will be rain centric for the day, so flooding concerns will be there,” Cornwell said. “We’ll have more details once we clear this first hurdle of this storm tonight.”
NWS data looks much kinder for the outer reaches of Franklin and Oxford counties. The Bethel area can expect 1-3 inches Saturday night and 2-4 inches throughout Sunday.
The Rangeley area has a 50% chance of snow starting at 2 a.m. Saturday with chances increasing to 70% throughout the day and accumulations of 1-2 inches. The stretch from Farmington to Waterville should expect a 40% chance of snow after 3 a.m. Saturday and 2 to 4 1/2 inches by Sunday evening.
Parts related to a new brine system are organized Saturday at Lewiston Public Works. Employees converted 20 trucks over to the new brine system Saturday in anticipation of the incoming snowstorm. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
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