A city of Hallowell plow truck turns the corner from Union Street on to Water Street Wednesday in downtown Hallowell. The midweek snow brought messy conditions and crashes to central Maine. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

AUGUSTA — A weather system pushing through central Maine early Wednesday brought up to 2 1/2 inches of snow to the Augusta and Waterville areas, with temperatures expected to drop steadily into the night.

The coating of snow brought crashes across the area, including one between two semitrailers on Interstate 95 in Sidney that closed the southbound lanes for a period of time.

Jerry Combes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Gray, said snow tapered off around mid-morning and was expected to pick back up Wednesday afternoon in Augusta with the possibility of snow squalls.

“There could be some heavy snow showers or even a snow squall,” Combs said. “So (I) just want people to be cognizant of that, especially if (showers) do arrive a little later … when schools are letting out and people are heading home from work. Could just be really fast reductions in visibility, gusty winds and then roadways could get really slick also, so just be prepared for that.”

Snowfall in the area is down almost 7 inches from last year. In Winthrop, for instance, snowfall totaled 29.9 inches from October  2023 through the end of January 2024. This year, during that time, 22.8 inches of snow has fallen, not counting the light snow Wednesday morning.

Augusta’s roads were packed with crashes Wednesday morning, Deputy Chief Jesse Brann of the Augusta Police Department said.

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“Since early this morning, when it really started snowing out, we had nine crashes,” Brann said Wednesday. “Just regular (property damage) crashes, didn’t appear that anybody was transported for any injuries or anything.”

A plow truck clears snow from Route 137 in Winslow on Wednesday. The National Weather Service says more snow is expected by the end of week. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

Skowhegan also saw a few early morning crashes as people commuted to work. Some crashes could be avoided if drivers slowed down, said Chief Dave Bucknam of the Skowhegan Police Department.

“I think a lot of these accidents could be prevented if people took preventative measures in not driving faster than what the road conditions allow,” Bucknam said. “And then one of the biggest things are if they start slowing down prior to coming to that stop, that would really keep them from sliding on the road and give everybody ample time behind them to slow down as well.”

A morning crash involving two semitrailers on Interstate 95 blocked the southbound lanes, closing the highway on that side, state police said.

Troopers were still at the scene around 10 a.m., said Shannon Moss, spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Public Safety; the semitrailers crashed at mile marker 117 in Sidney.

“At this point, I’m hearing no injuries,” Moss said.

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The speed limit in that area of I-95 was reduced to 45 mph as snow continued to fall.

Wednesday evening, wind chill is forecasted to drop to 5 to 10 degrees below zero. The breezy conditions will continue into Thursday, Combs said, with temperatures below zero in the morning, prompting safety concerns.

A man, who wished not to be identified, pushes his mountain bike through packed snow Wednesday along Western Avenue in Waterville, as snow moved through central Maine. The man says he was en route to Shaw’s grocery store. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

“Certainly want everyone to bundle up if they’re heading outside in the morning, getting ready for work and school tomorrow,” Combs said.

Thursday is expected to be dry but Combs said another system could bring more snow closer to the weekend.

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