AUGUSTA — With a second blizzard in less than three weeks waiting in the wings, Curtis Fox plugged away at repairing snowblowers for his customers.

Fox, who runs Fox Small Engine Repair on Academy Road in Monmouth, said Saturday he hoped to finish two more, but he was waiting for parts on a couple of others. “Yesterday everybody was happy to get everything back.”

They’ll need those machines.

Eric Schwibs, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said about 18 to 24 inches of snow should be on the ground when the snow quits; and a blizzard warning, which began at noon on Saturday, will remain in effect until 7 a.m. Monday.

“The only reason is because even after snow ends, there will be strong wind gusting 40 to 50 miles per hour and temperatures in the single digits and teens and wind chills below zero,” Schwibs said. “It’s not a time a time you want to get caught outside.”

Light snow was predicted to start between 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday, with the wind picking up after that. The heavy show was expected to arrive overnight and the first half of Sunday. “The thing is, the winds are going to be hauling, so you’ll have blowing and drifting. To add to it, you’ll have whiteouts,” Schwibs said.

Grocery stores were busy, and so were gas stations as people bought gas for generators.

A clerk at J&S Oil Xpress Stop convenience store in Manchester said business was brisk as people bought containers of kerosene and gasoline to power heaters, generators and snowblowers.

In Waterville, Lt. Shawn Esler, of the Waterville Fire Department, said extra personnel had been called in to work Saturday night and Sunday. “We’re making sure all our equipment is running and is in good condition,” he said.

Fire crews in Waterville are also responsible for their own snow removal around the fire station, so Esler said they expected to be busy making sure the area was clear. Other than that, preparation for the storm was routine, he said. “Every day is an emergency for us,” he said.

“The snow is expected to be dry and less likely to coat tree limbs and wires, so high winds and slippery roads are likely to be the primary cause of any outages,” said Gail Rice, spokeswoman for Central Maine Power Co., in a news release.

Organizations canceled or postponed Sunday events. The Maine Principals’ Association announced some schedule changes in state basketball and hockey tournament games as a result of the impending storm. Some businesses, including Goggins IGA in Randolph, announced on their Facebook pages that they would be closed on Sunday because of the snowstorm. Goggins anticipated opening at 7 a.m. as usual on Monday, President’s Day.

The Augusta Police Department announced a parking ban on all city streets that would remain in effect from 7 p.m. Saturday until noon Monday. The ban prohibits parking on city streets but allows people to park in designated areas. Waterville police announced an on-street parking ban from Saturday through 6 a.m. Monday.

Drivers on Townsend Road in Augusta might have done a double take Saturday at the sight of a used snowblower for sale — for $300 — perched on top of a tall snowbank.

George Patenaude said he used a couple of ramps to get it up there in the morning.

“If you put it anywhere else, no one will know it’s out there,” he said.

Patenaude is selling now because “demand is high,” he said. He had multiple inquiries by the middle of the afternoon. “Everybody’s looking for a deal,” he said.

If it’s not sold, he intended to use it on Sunday. If it sells, his brother promised to lend him a larger snowblower.

In Monmouth, Fox said he was getting calls about generator operations as people anticipate power outages during the blizzard. However, much of his repair work on snowblowers involves dealing with worn-out or stretched belts and gears for the front gear boxes.

“You hit a piece of ice, and it breaks the gears, shear pin or belt,” he said. The problems are likeliest to occur as residents clear the area where the driveway meets the road.

“They’re out near the end of the road where the town plows,” Fox said. “That’s where the heavy snow is. Lots of people try to get the banks back so they can see into the road.”

“Everybody’s tired of it,” said Fox, who been running the shop for 37 years. “It’s business for me, but even I’m tired of it.”

Staff writer Rachel Ohm contributed to this report.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams