'Mother Nature was good to us': Seacoast digs out from blizzard that could have been worse

Residents of all ages were enjoying the new snow around the Seacoast Sunday, sledding, snowboarding, cross country skiing and more a day after a blizzard hit the region.

While many folks were busy with snow cleanup Sunday, others took advantage of the sunny day and powdery snow to play.

"We were actually out here yesterday, during the storm," said Portsmouth dad Randy Gursky as his son Tracker, 8, and friends were sledding and climbing on giant hills left by plows at South Mill Pond playground. "The kids loved it, even during the storm."

Snowfall map: How much snow did we get in New Hampshire and Maine? Check the latest totals

The nor'easter, which hit hardest in southern New England, achieved blizzard status in Portsmouth and Rochester areas in New Hampshire and in Portland, Maine, too, according to meteorologist Michael Clair of the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine. Some areas around the Seacoast saw a foot or a bit more of snow, while others not quite that much. The blizzard hit much harder in much of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Rye's total of 13.5 inches of snow was the highest on the Seacoast in locations where the National Weather Service has spotters in New Hampshire and Maine.

"There are three criteria to be official as a blizzard and we met them in those areas," Clair said. "There must be snow blowing and drifting, visibility will be less than a quarter mile and the winds are 35 mph or higher. Those conditions must exist for at least three consecutive hours."

Hampton Deputy Police Chief Alex Reno said a couple of areas in town flooded at high tide during the storm.

"These are areas that we usually see flooding," he said. "We saw some around Ashworth Avenue. Highland Avenue, the road that comes into Hampton from Route 101 to the Ashworth Hotel flooded, and we had to shut it down until the tide and waters receded."

Reno said there was one accident, where a car went into the marsh. He said the driver sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.

Rye Police Chief Kevin Walsh said the town had no flooding, a rarity for the town in a storm.

"Mother Nature was very good to us," Walsh said. "The wind changed direction, and we were spared. Our biggest issue came from people riding bicycles and cross-country skiing during the storm. It was hard for the plow drivers to see them."

About six miles offshore from the New Hampshire coastline, the Isles of Shoals had winds that peaked at 75 mph, designated as hurricane force.

Storm coverage: Blizzard pounds Seacoast NH, Maine. Winds hit hurricane force off coast at Isles of Shoals.

Route 101 was tricky for drivers Sunday morning as large plows worked to clear the road. Cars were slowed to a crawl following behind.

Carolyn and Jim Austin, who are from Oneonta, New York, were visiting family in Portsmouth. They enjoyed snowshoeing in an area near South Mill Pond.

"We weren't going to get any (snow), so we came for family, but also for the snow," Jim said.

Power outages limited in NH and Maine

Eversource spokesperson William Hinkle on Sunday morning said the utility restored power to approximately 270 customers in New Hampshire, and none of the outages were on the Seacoast.

Alec O'Meara, a spokesperson for Unitil, said the utility, which serves the Exeter and Hampton area in New Hampshire, had zero outages overnight.

Tracking power outages: Updates on this map

"We remained clear through the duration of the storm," he said.

Central Maine Power was down to a few hundred outages Sunday morning, none of them in York County. Kennebunk Light and Power had an outage near Walker Street Sunday morning. It was attributed to an accident, not the storm.

Next storm?

Of course it is winter so we are not done yet. Clair said the National Weather Service is watching a new system, expected to arrive toward the end of the week.

Blizzard of '78: How hard did it hit Seacoast? Here's a look back

"We are not sure yet if this one will be snow, rain or a mix," Clair said. "The next few days should be tranquil though."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine, NH blizzard updates: Snow cleanup around the region