One week before the calendar declares the start of winter, Maine was digging out of the second classic northeaster in seven days. By the time the two-day storm ended Monday night, it dumped from 10 to 20 inches or more in western Maine.
“Eustis wins the prize. They’ve got 20 inches and it’s still snowing,” National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Hawley said Monday.
As of Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service recorded 11 inches in Auburn, 10 in Lewiston, 19 inches in Rangeley, 13 in Hartford, and 20 in Gorham, N.H. Snow was still falling when those measurements were taken. By 7 p.m. when the storm had stopped, Gray had 11.2 inches, the National Weather Service reported.
Life slowed down Monday as schools and some businesses closed. Gov. John Baldacci told state workers to stay home, and the Maine Turnpike lowered its speed limit to 45 mph.
Dispatchers for the State Police in Gray, Oxford, Franklin and Androscoggin counties sheriffs’ departments all reported no major accidents, “just a few slide-offs,” said the Gray dispatcher.
Sunday night on Route 4 in Turner part of the highway was closed briefly to allow two wreckers to get in and help two disabled vehicles that slid off the road across from one another.
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