Snow strains snow removal budget, fuels economy of northern Maine

ST. AGATHA – Rain in January is never accepted well in northern Maine where snow and more snow is better for the economy, although it can be a pain for local governments that must keep roads passable.

For towns that start their fiscal years on Jan. 1, last year put a heavy strain on snow-removal budgets. There was a lot of snow in the winter of 2007, and snow started falling again in late autumn into December.

The early snow was a boon for the snowmobile industry. A lot of sled enthusiasts were around during the holidays. This week’s mild weather has put a damper on those outings.

Ricky Chamberlain, the Public Works supervisor for St. Agatha, keeps impeccable weather records including rain, snowfall, high and low temperatures, even the amount of sand required by his department to keep his 37 miles of road sanded.

Snow started early in St. Agatha according to his records. The first snowfall came in October in the St. John Valley. By the end of November, he recorded 21 inches of snow and another 51 inches fell in December for a total of 72 inches. January, so far, has been mild, and he’s recorded only two inches of snow.

In comparison, last year the area had only 4 inches of snow in November and 11.5 inches in December.

Also, in 2006 Long Lake froze over on Dec. 28. This year a coat of ice covered the lake by Dec. 7.

Before the mild flow of air this week, he also recorded 17 degrees below zero on Jan. 3 just before the weather turned.

Chamberlain has used 91 loads of sand to keep roads from being overly slippery this season.

He said that’s 35 percent more than normal. The snowfall is also over the norm, but he’s hopeful the area will stay within its annual average of around 130 inches.

Donald Guimond, town manager at Fort Kent, said the amount of snow at the beginning of 2007 and the last two months of the year nearly collapsed his Public Works Department budget. They ended the year Dec. 31 with some $2,000 left, not enough for another snowstorm.

“We just about spent every last penny we had in Public Works,” he said Tuesday. “It was a big issue with lots of snow on both ends of the calendar year and the high price increases for fuel.

“We were able to finish the budget cycle, just about,” he said. “We are still not out of the woods with the fuel prices with budgets just around the corner.”

Like St. Agatha, Guimond said his crews have used a disproportionate amount of sand to keep the roads in the condition they should be.

While snow is good for the economy, he said high fuel prices and higher than normal snow accumulations in southern Maine have kept snowmobilers away.

“Snowmobiling is an expensive sport, and high gasoline prices is causing a slowdown,” he said. “People are staying away.

“Some are going to skiing instead,” he said. “Some people have told me they are seeing a lot of skiers with snowmobiling parkas on.”

He said it is cheaper for people to ski than it is to snowmobile.

Back in St. Agatha, fishermen are saying the early ice cover has caused a slowdown in fishing. They are saying the lake was covered too quickly, and smelt, the game fish at this time of the year on Long Lake, are not going for the bait. They’ve apparently found another source of food.

Sport fishing on Long Lake for landlocked salmon and trout does not start until Jan. 15.

The mild weather this week has made Long Lake look like a very large ice-skating rink. Most of the snow cover has gone.

Still, snow cover through the fields and woods is still in place.

Mike Collin, a snowmobile trail groomer, said Tuesday that the trails are in very good shape. Early snow allowed trails to be well groomed before this week’s mild weather.