PRESQUE ISLE – The city’s roads and sidewalks looked like a giant ice rink Thursday morning as cars and children edging their way to work and school ended up slipping and, in some cases, falling on the slick surfaces.

One teen lost his footing while walking to school – his legs flew up into the air and he fell flat on his back in classic cartoon style – and was back on his feet in less than a minute. He and countless others across the region were feeling the impact of Thursday morning’s icy weather.

Rich Norton, a hydrometeorological technician with the National Weather Service office in Caribou, said Thursday that Aroostook County was hit with freezing rain showers between 5:30 and 11 a.m., though conditions worsened the farther north the system went. Houlton received 0.03 of an inch of freezing rain, while Caribou had 0.06 of an inch and Frenchville received 0.08 of an inch.

“Throughout Aroostook County, the estimate was under a tenth of an inch or less,” Norton said. “But that still makes enough ice to be slippery.”

On streets and highways in Presque Isle, at least 10 cars ended up off the road and in snowbanks because of slippery road conditions. Police said the accidents did not involve serious injuries or property damage. Traffic, however, was backed up on some roads, which were made impassable by ice. On Route 10 heading to Easton, a DOT plow truck couldn’t make it up a hill because of the ice and caused a traffic backup, police said.

In town, parking lots especially were covered in sheer coats of ice, making parking on hilly areas a slippery endeavor.

Around town, parents reported that several school buses sat on the side of the road Thursday morning unable to move, some for more than an hour, waiting either for plows to put sand and salt on the roads or for the ice to melt.

SAD 1 officials delayed the start of school by an hour Thursday because of the weather. Superintendent Gehrig Johnson said that by 10 a.m., the district had taken in “99 percent of the students who were planning to be here.”

“It was a slow situation to get them in,” Johnson said. “We went slow and waited when we needed to.”

Some parents questioned why the district didn’t cancel school altogether since pupils were scheduled for a half-day Thursday.

Johnson said he made the final decision based on a recommendation by Dave Sauers, operations supervisor, and that early Thursday morning in central Aroostook, there wasn’t a weather problem.

“With weather, we do the best we can and we keep safety in mind for the kids,” Johnson said. “Anytime you have a large community like we have, everyone has an opinion on whether we should go or ‘no go.’ We make our decision keeping in mind students’ safety and their education.”

Johnson noted that parents always have the option of keeping their children home. He said about 10 percent of students were out Thursday because of the weather.

In Caribou, police reported a few cars off the road because of the ice, but no serious damage and no injuries.

In Fort Kent, police reported a two-car accident on U.S. Route 1 that held up traffic for about a half-hour. Hailee Morin, 21, of Fort Kent was heading east toward Madawaska in her Subaru Forester when she lost control of her vehicle and went into a skid, Officer Dalen Boucher of the Fort Kent Police Department said Thursday.

Morin skidded sideways into the opposing lane where Albenie Roy, 75, of St. Agatha was heading west toward Fort Kent in his GMC pickup truck. The rear of Morin’s car slammed into the front of Roy’s truck, demolishing both vehicles, Boucher said.

Emergency crews were called to the scene and both people were taken to Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent. Morin, who was wearing a seat belt, had minor injuries. Roy, who was not wearing a seat belt, complained of knee pain.

Boucher said damage to Morin’s car was estimated at $11,000. Roy’s truck had about $12,000 in damage.

The officer attributed the accident to speeding for the road conditions.