Motorists in the Augusta and Waterville areas should expect slippery commutes and delays Tuesday morning as a snowstorm moves through the region.

An estimated 5 to 7 inches of snow is expected to accumulate in central Maine between 1 a.m. and noon Tuesday, according to Andy Pohl, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray.

The peak of the storm — a nor’easter predicted to bring more than a foot of snow to southern areas of the Northeast — is set to hit central Maine during the Tuesday morning commute, according to Pohl.

“The heaviest hours of snowfall are expected to be between 6 a.m., to 9 a..m, so the morning commute is going to be a bit of a mess,” Pohl said.

Pohl said Tuesday’s snow is expected to be “a bit heavier than normal,” with temperatures around 26 degrees and winds gusting from 20 to 25 mph.

Some organizations Monday were already announcing cancellations and postponements ahead of the storm. Schools, meanwhile, were taking a wait-and-see approach.

According to Eric Haley, superintendent for Waterville Public Schools, the district would wait until early Tuesday to determine whether it will close for the day. Haley said school closings depend on how fast the snow falls and how fast public works departments can plow the streets.

At the Gardiner Public Works Department, Wes Holland was collecting a bucket of salt and sand Monday from a shed. Shoveling two buckets of the mix of melting agent and absorbent for his home was the last step in preparing for the first major snowstorm of the season.

“I’ve a got a wood stove,” said Holland, a transplant from Oklahoma to Gardiner. “I’m ready for it.”

The impending snowfall had not phased Greg Dore, road commissioner for the Skowhegan Highway Department, who said Tuesday will be “just another day.”

“Right now, we’re going through all the equipment, treating the salt and getting it stock piled. It’s just another day here,” Dore said Monday morning. “It should be a little easier, though, because it looks like this one is going to be all snow, unlike the last storm, which was a wintry mix.”

Plows in the Skowhegan area are set to hit the streets at about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to Dore.

Officials from the Augusta and Waterville public works departments also reported they are ready for the snowfall.

“We’re doing the normal preparations, mixing salt and sand and loading the trucks. This should be a pretty routine storm for us,” said Mark Turner, director of the Waterville Public Works Department.

Lesley Jones, director of the Augusta Public Works Department, struck a similar tone Monday.

“We went out this morning and treated a few roads to prepare, so now we’re loading our trucks and we have a crew ready to come in tonight and into tomorrow morning,” Jones said.

Plows in Augusta and Waterville will roll out during the early morning hours on Tuesday, but Jones and Turner both said the exact timing depends on the storm’s progression.

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