Lincoln County Hunkers Down as N’oreaster Pounds Area with Heavy Snowfall and High Winds
Widespread school and business closures, scattered power outages, and numerous traffic accidents kept Lincoln County first responders busy Weds. afternoon, but most residents seemed to be staying home, and out of harm’s way.
Snowfall began in most areas of Lincoln County by mid-morning and then intensified through the afternoon, sometimes falling at the rate of several inches an hour, according to reports from area broadcasters. The winds also picked up as the day progressed, with sustained velocities of 25 to 35 mph out of the east-northeast and gusts to the 40 to 50 mph range, especially on the peninsulas.
The combination of wind and snow in these areas caused a number of power outages, according to Central Maine Power (CMP) and the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (LCEMA).
Among the hardest hit areas was Bristol, with 28 roads without power as of 3 p.m. according to Kimberly White-Kaiser of the LCEMA. The Ocean Point area of Boothbay was also hard hit by the winds, with plenty of trees down but no major outages, according to White-Kaiser. “The CMP is out there and they’re working to resolve the problems as soon as possible,” White-Kaiser said.
As of 3:38 p.m. Weds., CMP reported outages in Lincoln County as follows: Boothbay, 19 roads; Boothbay Harbor, Bradley Rd. only; Bremen, Medomak Rd. only; and Bristol, 33 roads. In Damariscotta and South Bristol a single residential line was reported out in each town.
The snowfall is forecast to change over to rain as evening approaches, and radar images monitored at intellicast.com at 3:47 p.m. indicated that the rain line was steadily moving inland from south to north. Winds are forecast to sustain their velocity of 25 to 35 mph, with considerably higher gusts, but should change direction, blowing from the southwest.
A Winter Storm Warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) continues until Thurs. morning at 1 a.m. The NWS forecast Weds. night calls for rain and sleet that will fall on snow accumulations of 2 to 5 inches along the coast and 6 to 10 inches inland.