PORTLAND – Mainers braced Monday for up to 10 inches of snow from a massive winter storm that hammered the Northeast.
The National Weather Service posted a winter storm warning for Monday night through Tuesday afternoon in portions of southern and coastal Maine and a winter weather advisory for some inland sections.
Forecasters said the snow could become heavy at times during the overnight period before tapering off by midday Tuesday. Accumulations in some areas were predicted at 6 to 10 inches.
Lesser amounts were expected inland, with minimal snowfall in the western mountains and in northern Maine.
“It’s going to move northeast and stay too far away from northern New England to give us a whole lot of snow,” said Tony Lacroix of the weather service office in Gray. “Consequently, we’re going to be on the northern fringes of it.”
The prolonged cold spell that gripped Maine for much of the past week continued Monday as Caribou tied a record low temperature of 22 below zero for the date, first set in 1997. Forecasts called for a warming trend later in the week.
The slow-moving storm was part of a huge system that caused blizzard conditions in the Northeast, dumping 2 feet of snow in areas to the south, including parts of Maryland and West Virginia.
Bangor International Airport and Portland International Jetport reported a host of weather-related cancellations for flights connecting to New York, Newark, N.J.; Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington.
International flights out of BIA, including military transports, had not been delayed, according to Heidi Suletzki, supervisor of passenger services.
Travelers were advised to check with airlines to determine the status of their flights.
As the storm headed closer to Maine, bus and rail service also was expected to feel the impact. Amtrak’s Downeaster between Portland and Boston was operating on its weekend schedule during the Presidents Day holiday, and bus and train service beyond Boston had been reduced.
Public works crews in Maine were preparing for the storm. By late morning, hours before the snow was expected to arrive, Portland announced plans for a citywide parking ban during the night.
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