Blizzard conditions overspread Lincoln County Tuesday morning, prompting school and business closures and keeping first responders busy with widely scattered minor traffic and wire incidents. Reports of power outages began with the 12:13 p.m. update from Central Maine Power Company, with many of the outages reported in Waldoboro and Bremen. The Waldoboro Fire Dept. was working to resolve power related incidents at two locations on Rt. 32 during that time period, according to reports. A total of 982 outages were reported in the 12:28 p.m. CMP update.
No major injuries have been reported in regard to the traffic incidents. It appears that most motorists have heeded advice from the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency and the Maine Dept. of Transportation to shelter in place and stay off the roadways during the storm. Keeping motorists off the roads has two beneficial effects during a storm; it keeps people safe at home and allows emergency crews and snowplow drivers to accomplish their tasks.
Among the cancellations is a rare notification from the US Postal Service that mail deliveries are suspended for Tuesday.
Snowfall rates have been occurring in excess of one inch per hour, with northerly winds at sustained speeds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts to 50 mph, all combining to create blizzard conditions in Lincoln County, according to the National Weather Service.
A snow band associated with heavy snowfall rates had stalled over the area at mid-day and is forecast to remain in place through early afternoon, according to reports.
Westport Island had 14 inches of snowfall accumulation, with plenty of snowfall still to come, according to a noon report at WGME Channel 13. The latest forecast from NWS is calling for 18 to 24 inches of accumulation before the storm ends.
Temps during this storm have stayed well below freezing, making for light “fluffy” snowflakes less capable of bringing down tree limbs and wires than the heavy, wet type of snow seen in recent storms, according to the NWS.
The storm’s effects are forecast to continue into Tuesday evening, according to the NWS. Lincoln County is under a Blizzard Warning until 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Astronomically high tides on Tuesday, ranging between 9 and 10 feet depending on the location in Lincoln County, may be pushed higher because of the strong winds and storm surge, bringing the possibility of coastal splash over, flooding and erosion. The tide expected to affect locations in Lincoln County is at 5 p.m. on Tuesday evening. A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
After the Tuesday storm moves out, forecasters are already watching another period of unsettled weather due to arrive in Lincoln County for Friday and Saturday.
The Lincoln County News will continue to follow the progress of this event and post any additional information here as soon as it is obtained.
