Mainers woke up to a fresh sheet of heavy snow this morning that snared commutes and closed schools and offices.
The National Weather Service in Gray reported snowfall totals up to 10 inches across the state, with western portions of the state being the hardest hit. Weather service spotters in areas of Franklin County saw 10 inches by 6 a.m., while spotters in Kennebec County saw 6 to 8 inches by 9 a.m.
Areas of interior and coastal areas of southern and central Maine were under a hazardous weather outlook around 10 a.m., while the rest of the state was still under a winter storm warning.
A wintry mix of snow and sleet, along with temperature around freezing, were expected to continue until Wednesday night. The sun will return on Thursday with a temperature around 34 degrees.
A number of schools were closed Wednesday, including those in Augusta and Waterville, the Mount Blue School District and Regional School Units 2 and 54. The University of Maine at Augusta, the University of Maine at Farmington and Central Maine Community College were also closed.
Waterville School District Superintendent Eric Haley said his district had used three of four snow days built into its schedule for the year. If a fifth day were to be used, he said, the school year would be extended by one day in order to adhere to a contracted number of work days for teachers.
“We’re crossing our fingers,” he said regarding the potential of using another snow day in February and March.
Municipal office openings were delayed in a number of central Maine cities and towns. Augusta, Farmington and Waterville District courts were closed.
Sam Shepherd — 621-5666
sshepherd@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @SamShepME
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