Major storm blankets central Maine

AUGUSTA — Most of central Maine had nearly a foot of snow before noon on Saturday, with experts expecting several more inches by the end of the day.

The rate of snowfall, according to Jon Palmer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Gray, was heavier than usual at roughly 2 to 3 inches per hour in the morning.

As of 7 a.m. Saturday, Palmer said Augusta already had 8 1/2 inches of snow, Manchester had reports of about 10 1/2 inches, and Readfield registered 9 1/2 inches.

He said at about noon that the weather service’s most recent report was from Waterville, which had recorded 9 inches by 11 a.m.

Palmer said noontime predictions called for a total of 10 to 15 inches for the central Maine area by the end of the day.

He said the snowfall rate of 2 1/2 inches per hour was among the heaviest he’d seen this season, and that while the rates can vary, a light to moderate all-day storm would typically involve snow falling at between a quarter- to a half-inch per hour.

“Otherwise,” he said. “This is a typical, run of the mill nor’easter,” adding that winds of up to 30 to 45 mph were anticipated along immediate coastal areas.

Central Maine Power Co. was reporting less than three dozen power outages in Kennebec and Franklin counties at 1:25 p.m., and none in Somerset County. Neighboring Penobscot County, however, had more than 3,500 customers without power. Further south, Cumberland, Sagadahoc and York counties were reporting thousands more homes without electricity.

Augusta and Waterville police also did not report many major accidents, with the two cities each having just one car off the road in the morning.

The driver “just kind of went off the road a little bit,” said Sgt. Todd Nyberg of the Augusta Police Department. “The husband arrived when the officer arrived and they just gave her a little tug back onto the road. It wasn’t really anything to write home about.”

Nyberg added that Augusta Public Works is “very short-handed” at the moment.

“Some of the roads are still pretty snowy, but they are out there and they’re doing the best that they can,” he said.

Lisa and Ron Zachau of Hallowell were digging out a path for their dog early in the morning. They’ve lived on Water Street for about a year and a half, after moving from Arizona.

Ron Zachau said they lived in Arizona for more than 30 years and they loved having a chance to see the snow, as it is something they had missed for much of their lives.

Bintliff’s Corner Brew was among the few Gardiner businesses open during the storm. Owner Roger Bintliff said that while Saturdays are normally busier, there has been a steady stream of customers despite the weather.

Jennifer and Aaron Grindle of Waldoboro were among the shop’s customers. Aaron Grindle said they visit the shop often, and that the roads on the way were “not bad.”

Sgt. Joshua Woods of the Waterville Police Department said the lower number of incidents might be due to the storm hitting on a Saturday.

“There’s less commuter traffic on the road today, because it’s a weekend, which is saving some of the issues that you’d probably have if it was a weekday and people had to still get to work,” said Woods.