Nearly 350,000 without power as nor'easter slams Maine with heavy snow, high winds

Apr. 4—Hundreds of thousands of Mainers are without power Thursday as a nor'easter brings heavy snow and strong winds to the region, also causing internet outages and serious travel delays in some areas.

The storm, which started Wednesday evening and is expected to continue into Friday, prompted officials to close state and municipal offices and schools and warn people to stay home if possible. Snow is expected to fall at rates of 1 to 2 inches an hour Thursday morning, creating dangerous travel conditions.

A winter storm warning is in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday for all of Maine, according to the National Weather Service. The warning said 1 to 2 feet of heavy snow and sleet and wind gusts up to 50 mph will create hazardous travel conditions across the region.

@portlandpressheraldHundreds of thousands of Mainers are without power Thursday as a nor'easter brings heavy snow and strong winds to the region, also causing internet outages and serious travel delays in some areas. Read more at pressherald.com♬ original sound — Portland Press Herald

Early snowfall totals reported by the National Weather Service in Gray include 10.3 inches in Gray, 6.4 inches in Falmouth, 8 inches in Gorham and 4.5 inches at the Portland International Jetport.

York County totals included 12.4 inches in Acton, 10.8 inches in Hollis and 6 inches in Kennebunk. A foot of snow was reported in Porter, a town in Oxford County, according to the weather service.

"The last time we saw numbers like this in April was in 1996," said Stephen Baron, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray.

Gov. Janet Mills is urging people to take precautions.

"We recommend that you stay off the roads if you can, but if you must travel during the storm, be sure to give plow trucks, utility crews, and emergency first responders plenty of room as they work to keep us safe," Mills said in a prepared statement.

This storm comes less than two weeks after a powerful snow and ice storm knocked out power to 200,000 customers, some of whom waited days for power to be restored. Cumberland County — where a thick layer of ice blanketed tree limbs and power lines — was especially hard hit.

POWER OUTAGES

The number of power outages increased rapidly early Thursday morning, topping nearly 350,000 statewide by noon.

Baron, from the weather service, said wind gusts and another burst of precipitation Thursday afternoon could contribute to more outages.

"The biggest threat will be the heavy, wet snow causing power outages," he said.

Central Maine Power outages continue to rise, with the company reporting 329,000 customers were without power across its coverage area as of noon, including more than 103,000 in Cumberland County, 89,000 in York County and 40,000 in Androscoggin County.

Versant Power reported more than 11,000 customers were without power as of noon, the highest number reported all day.

Source: Central Maine Power

"High winds and heavy, wet snow are expected to continue throughout the day today, causing severe damage to the electrical system. We expect a multi-day restoration and for work to continue through the weekend at this time," Versant said in a message to customers. "Our focus today will be addressing public safety concerns, like downed lines, and assessing damage to identify what repairs need to be made to the system."

CMP pre-staged more than 450 line crews and 250 tree crews to be ready to respond to storm damage and outages, according to spokesperson Jon Breed.

"Weather conditions are going to be hazardous on Thursday, and we ask everyone to use caution on the roads in the coming days," he said. "When you see our crews out restoring power, please slow down and give them plenty of space to do their important work."

A spokesperson for Specturm said in an email Thursday that most of the outages they are seeing is because of commercial power outages across several areas.

"We do have some physical damage to our network, as a result of downed trees on our lines and fiber," said Lara Pritchard. "We have crews actively working to restore service."

The Maine Emergency Management Association is coordinating with the Maine Department of Transportation, electric utilities and local emergency management partners to monitor the storm.

Maine State Police is urging the public not to call 911 unless there is an emergency — and not to report power outages.

TRAVEL IMPACTS

The storm is already causing travel disruptions.

There are numerous trees and wires down in Scarborough, where Sawyer Street is closed at Route 77, according to police. Crews are out clearing what they can and will set out cones and barricades around hazards, police said in a Facebook post.

In Buxton, nearly a dozen roads are closed because of storm damage. A truck crash that took down a pole has closed Parker Farm Road at the intersection with Christian Row and River Road near the West Buxton Bridge, according to police. That area is closed to through traffic.

The northbound lanes of the Maine Turnpike are closed between Exit 86 in Sabattus and the West Gardiner barrier toll at mile marker 100 because of a crash, according to an alert from the Maine Turnpike Authority.

The speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph for the entire length of the turnpike.

At the Portland International Jetport, more than a dozen arriving and departing flights had been cancelled by early Thursday morning. Zachary Sundquist, the assistant airport director, recommended passengers check with their airline before heading to the jetport.

"We are expecting that the high winds will likely lead to more delays and potential cancellations throughout (Thursday)," he said.

Concord Coach Lines canceled some service in New Hampshire and Maine. Greater Portland Metro said it plans to operate regular service, but delays and detours are likely, and service may be canceled if the storm is upgraded to a blizzard.

Amtrak canceled several trains Thursday, but a few are stills scheduled to run with some expected delays.

CLOSURES AND CANCELLATIONS

State offices and many municipal offices, including Portland, will be closed Thursday, as will state and federal courts.

The commission investigating the Lewiston mass shooting also postponed a public hearing set for Thursday. A new date has not been announced, and the commission will still hold its next planned meeting on April 11 at the University of Maine at Augusta.

School districts across southern Maine announced Wednesday night that schools would be closed Thursday, including Portland, Westbrook, Gorham, Auburn, Brunswick, Biddeford and Wells.

Trash and recycling pickup in many communities is delayed until Friday or Saturday.

This story will be updated.