Our best photos from a cold start to Maine’s winter

Maine saw colder temperatures than average in December, and a couple of winter storms throughout the month blanketed the state in several inches of snow.

Matt Yudaken, of Portland, cleans snow off his fiancee’s vehicle along the Eastern Promenade on Dec. 24. “She is still in bed,” he said. “She has to work a half-day, so it is the least I can do.” (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)

Robin Sullivan, of Portland, clears snow from a vehicle parked along the Eastern Promenade on Dec. 24. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)

Augusta Parks and Recreation staff members work on the skating rink at Mill Park as it floods on Dec. 31 in Augusta. (Anna Chadwick/Staff Photographer)

The first major snowfall of the season came on Dec. 2. Residents in higher elevations woke up to 8 to 12 inches of snow, while many other areas accumulated between 4 to 8 inches.

Skiers on either side of a lift tower make their way down a run at Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton on Dec. 23. Snow throughout December helped create good conditions for skiing early this winter. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)

Liam Sullivan, of Bar Harbor, cuts through the snow while skiing at Quarry Road Trails Ski Area in Waterville, on Dec. 23. (Rich Abrahamson/Staff Photographer)

Evelyn Perry, of Los Angeles, walks back up the hill at the Eastern Promenade after skiing down it on Dec. 24. Perry and her five siblings all came home to Falmouth for the holidays. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)

Just a couple of days later, warming centers across Maine started opening as the state was blasted with frigid temperatures. Portland reported a low of 2 degrees and Augusta reported a low of 3 overnight Dec. 4 into Dec. 5, breaking decades-old records.

Jonathan Diez Sr. said the Dec. 24 storm meant “money” to him. He rented a snow blower and intended to turn a profit after a day’s work clearing driveways and walkways in downtown Lewiston. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)

A worker moves snow from the top floor of the Centerville Parking Garage into a dump truck below on Canal Street in Lewiston on Dec. 29. (Libby Kamrowski Kenny/Staff Photographer)

Leavitt Area High School Nordic ski coach Dustin Wiliamson grooms the ski trails at the Maine Outdoor Wellness Center in Turner on Dec. 24. Leavitt practices and hosts its home ski meets at the center. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)

A large winter storm paved the way for Maine to be one of the few places in the U.S. to celebrate a white Christmas after several inches of snow dropped the night of Dec. 23 into Christmas Eve morning. Some areas got well over a foot as the low-pressure system stalled between Lewiston and Brunswick.

Zion Uviasah, 3, of Scarborough, cruises down the hill at the Eastern Promenade in Portland on Dec. 24 while sledding with his father, Jason. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)

Lee Trevains, left, and his brother Jonathan check on a trap while ice fishing Jan. 1 on Sabattus Pond. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)

L.L.Bean boots keep the wearer’s feet warm and dry as icy, nearly ankle-deep water stands on Gagne Street in Lewiston on Dec. 29. (Libby Kamrowski Kenny/Staff Photographer)

In many parts of the state, December temperatures were several degrees colder than average, according to the National Weather Service. In Portland, temperatures were an average of 5.8 degrees colder than usual, while Augusta was an average of 4.5 degrees colder and Waterville 5.1 degrees below normal.

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