A record of the wrong kind > Snow blankets Aroostook County

The earliest measurable snowfall recorded in Aroostook County since the National Weather Service in Caribou began keeping records in 1939 occurred Sunday and Monday, according to Paul Helmbrecht, weather service meteorologist.

Snowfall started at 8:30 p.m. Sunday in central Aroostook County, with an average of 2.1 inches reported by midnight. Presque Isle received 3.75 inches, Helmbrecht said.

A total of 1.1 inches of snow was recorded at Houlton International Airport, and at Shin Pond in northern Penobscot County, close to 2 inches of snow was reported.

Helmbrecht said areas near Fort Kent and Madawaska did not receive any snow.

The snowfall broke records set on Sept. 29, 1941, and Sept. 30, 1974, when a trace of snow fell, Helmbrecht said. A trace is less than one-tenth of an inch.

Weather officials said the earliest snowfall ever recorded in the County was a trace amount on Sept. 13, 1963. The first measurable snowfall was one-tenth of an inch recorded on Oct. 4, 1989.

“It’s actually quite amazing,” Helmbrecht said. “The storm was caused by a weak trough that moved out from western Quebec and came through our area giving us a taste of winter.”

The storm will put the potato harvest back a couple of days until the fields can dry out again, according to David Lavway, director of the Maine Potato Board. The harvest is 45 percent complete.

Area highway departments and police departments responded to numerous reports of broken tree limbs, and fallen trees and wires throughout the night.

According to a spokesman at Maine Public Service Co., the power outages caused by the storm affected about 5,600 customers in the Ashland-Portage-Washburn area. Another 1,000 customers in other areas also lost power when tree limbs fell onto wires. Power was restored in all areas by Monday afternoon.

Electrical power outages in Ashland resulted in schools’ opening later than usual there. Power was restored at the Ashland High School and the Ashland Central School by 8:30 a.m. Both schools opened for classes at 10 a.m., according to school officials.

There were no other reports of the snow causing delays at County schools.

Rain that preceded the snow caused roads to become slippery when the temperature dropped below freezing.

Maine Department of Transportation trucks sanded roads from Houlton to New Sweden during the night, and plowed snow along Route 11 in the Ashland area, according to Howard Quist, DOT division engineer.

A dispatcher at Maine State Police Troop F in Houlton said five cars were reported off the road Monday morning in the central and southern Aroostook County region. There also was an accident on Interstate 95 in Smyrna that sent two people to the hospital.

According to Trooper David Socoby, the accident occurred at about 5:40 a.m. Monday in the southbound lane just before the Smyrna exit.

Clarence Bell, 69, and his wife, Josephine, also in her 60s, of Ansonia, N.Y., were injured when their 1989 Buick skidded on an ice-covered overpass and went off into a ditch.

Bell complained of shoulder pain and his wife had a dislocated elbow, Socoby said. Neither was believed to be wearing a seat belt, he said.

Both were taken by the Houlton ambulance to Houlton Regional Hospital where they were treated for their injuries, then were released.

Damage to the car was estimated by Socoby at $2,500.

Four reports of vehicles off the road were received by Presque Isle police. No injuries or damage was reported.