Intense snowfall and high winds buffeted Lincoln County Mon. morning, making for hazardous driving and causing many school closures, but so far no major incidents or power outages have been reported.
Steady snowfall that started in Lincoln County during the wee hours of Mon. morning developed into a full-fledged storm by sunrise, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Snowfalls rates reached 1-2 inches per hour, and winds out of the north were blasting through at 20-30 mph, according to the NWS.
By mid-day the snowfall had cleared, but high winds continued to blow snow, re-covering freshly plowed roadways and reducing visibility. Even so, a Winter Storm Warning that had been set to last until 7 p.m. on Mon. was cancelled early at 12:49 p.m., according to an NWS bulletin.
For area closings and cancellations, click on the storm closings tile to the right of this story, made through special arrangement with WCSH channel 6.
Dozens of flights were cancelled at the Portland Jetport, and Lincoln County residents with travel plans may want to check with their airline before leaving home.
The storm is powered by a low-pressure area that is tracking up the coast along a stationary front that hugs the Atlantic coastline and extends south into the Bahamas. At 7 a.m. on Mon. that area of low pressure was forecast to be right off Cape Cod where it hauled moisture in from the Gulf Stream that changed over to snowfall as it hit cold temps over land.
The only hint of good news is that temps are forecast to stay below the freezing mark during the entire event, according to the NWS. If this forecast holds, then most of the snowfall should arrive in the more “desirable” (and easier to shovel) “fluffy” form, not the heavy wet snowflakes that made the storm last Sun. such a mess. However, the possibility of a mix remains for coastal areas.
Readers are encouraged to submit their photos of the storm to The Lincoln County News using the “click here to submit a news tip or photo” tile on our home page, or by e-mailing the photo with relevant information to lcn@lincoln.midcoast.com with the subject line “Storm Photo”.
The Lincoln County News website will continue to follow the progress of this storm and post any additional developments here as soon as they become available.
