Snow plows clear North Street on Thursday as a walker pushes through blowing snow in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

Several schools and businesses are closed Thursday as central Maine deals with the first of two storms expected this week.

North bound traffic travels through snow Thursday as they approach Exit 130 on Interstate 95 in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

The storm Thursday is expected to bring 2 to 3 inches of snow to the Augusta and Waterville areas, before changing to a wintry mix in the afternoon.

It is just a glimpse of the snow expected this weekend, according to Stephen Baron, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Gray.

“Today is going to look more like a wintry mix with maybe some sleet and at the tail end, to see some freezing rain,” Baron said. “I think it would be before most people hit the road this afternoon. The mixing starts in the afternoon then after 3 p.m., as the system is pulling away, there is a period of freezing rain.”

Though the amount of snow expected is minimal, Baron said the wintry mix of sleet, freezing rain and rain might affect road conditions later on.

Even if the temperature is above freezing, as it is supposed to be this afternoon, if the road is below freezing, it can still cause rain that hits the road to freeze.

As of Thursday morning, the city of Augusta had its equipment already on the road, Leslie Jones, director of the public works department said.

Jones said the city ordered extra salt and are keeping an eye on the weather forecast for the weekend, as well as Friday because of the wind advisory that was issued for the area. Low temperatures on Thursday night might create slippery road conditions on Friday, along with winds reaching 40-45 mph.

A Maine DOT truck plows snow Thursday on Water Street in downtown Hallowell. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

She advises people to stay home, off the roads, if they can.

“I had a public works director once tell me, ‘I’ll tell you how the storm was when its done,'” Jones said.

The city removes snow at night and sends it to the snow dump under Memorial Bridge, she said.

So far, the snow pile up hasn’t been an issue, but it might have been if the city received more snow earlier this winter.

Central Maine Power is staging extra crews at service centers across its territory for the snow and rain expected Thursday as well as the winds predicted for Friday.

“We continue to monitor forecasts from our team of meteorologists for the storm expected this weekend. Storm preparation at CMP also happens during our everyday work. For instance, this past Tuesday in Burnham, we installed a new, stronger steel transmission structure, replacing one from the 1970s made of wood,” Dustin Wlodkowski, CMP corporate communication manager, said. “This steel structure, similar to ones we’ve been installing across CMP’s grid, will better withstand extreme storms and is engineered to modern standards that enhance grid reliability.”

More snow is expected this weekend, Baron said, but it is still too early to tell how much snow central Maine will get. The snowstorms are part of an active weather pattern that may bring more snow in the upcoming week, he said, but like this weekend’s storm, it’s too early to tell.

Fred Knee shovels snow Thursday in front of his business Hallowell Antiques Mall on Water Street in downtown Hallowell. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Snow this weekend is expected to start Saturday night and last until Sunday evening.

“It’s looking like a stronger storm at this time and the amounts of snow are higher than what we are seeing today and there is also a chance of mixed precipitation. A storm similar to what we are seeing today but stronger,” Baron said.

Angela Molino, director of Kennebec County Emergency Management, said the department is monitoring weather conditions through the National Weather Service, but said it is too soon to know what the conditions will be like.

Michael Smith, director of Somerset County Emergency Management, said the same as Molino, that it’s too soon to tell about the weekend, but that his department has spread the word to the towns and cities in the county about the larger storm potential on Sunday.

Smith is keeping an eye on Friday’s high winds and the potential of heavy snow on Sunday.

“I’m watching that (the wind) and the potential of what snow looks like on Sunday. If we have mixed participation and it weighs down the trees, that’s something to keep an eye on. We are just playing it by ear at this point,” he said.

Cancellations across central Maine

In anticipation of the wintry mix, central Maine schools had a remote learning day or closed Thursday, as did state offices.

The Augusta Public Schools have a remote learning day while the Waterville Public Schools opted for a closure.

All state offices are closed, including the Maine State House and the court systems.

The city of Augusta has a citywide parking ban until 6 p.m. Thursday.

Waterville has a parking ban from midnight to 6 a.m. Friday in the city’s concourse and downtown. Overnight parking is permitted at the Head of Falls Municipal Parking Lot.