PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The year’s first significant snowstorm came with a vengeance Saturday, dumping a foot or more of snow in many Aroostook County communities.
The storm started earliest in south central Maine, working its way north by afternoon. Snow and wind began in earnest around 1 p.m. Saturday in Presque Isle, lasting until early Sunday morning.
Parts of Penobscot and Washington counties were hit hardest, with Veazie topping the list at 22 inches of snow, according to Sunday’s snowfall report from the National Weather Service in Caribou. Hampden got 20 inches, while Whiting, parts of Bangor and Eastport received around 19. In Aroostook, Houlton had the highest snowfall at 15 inches, with most areas getting from 8-12 inches. Presque Isle had 13, Caribou 12.2, Van Buren 9.5 and Fort Kent 8.
Snow dissipated Sunday morning into clear, sunny skies as people began digging out. In Presque Isle, residential snowblowers were out in force, and city snow removal crews worked on streets and sidewalks.
Despite the wind and low visibility, the storm wasn’t actually a blizzard, Louise Sode, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Caribou, said Monday.
“We define blizzard conditions as having visibility lower than 1/4 mile in blowing snow for three consecutive hours, with winds 35 mph or higher,” Sode said. “So even though it was a lot of snow, it was technically not a blizzard because we didn’t meet those criteria.”
Looking down Dyer Street in Presque Isle Sunday morning, the street is barely visible between snowbanks. Saturday’s snowstorm brought 13 inches to Presque Isle, with blowing snow causing higher drifts. (Paula Brewer | The Star-Herald)
The storm’s track moved east, bringing cold air, Sode said. Because of the cold, the storm produced dry, fluffy snow, which actually increased the snowfall. In a warmer storm, the same amount of liquid will produce less snow.
“So for snow lovers, we got lucky,” she said.
The low temperatures and lighter snow benefited the Maine Department of Transportation, too, by keeping the roads clearer.
“This was a really cold storm, so it was better for us because the snow doesn’t stick to the road as much,” Bob Watson of the DOT’s Presque Isle office said Monday.
The challenges came late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, as high winds affected visibility. Thankfully, Watson said, the team experienced only one minor accident and the driver was uninjured.
Watson said the crew is fortunate to have many experienced equipment operators, but some new drivers had never seen a storm like this.
“I can’t say enough good about our operators. Our employees are out working in the worst possible conditions,” he said.
The timing of the storm worked in everyone’s favor, because the heaviest snowfall occurred in the late night/early morning hours, when not many people were on the roads.
“Given the intensity of this storm, I’m really happy with the way everything worked out,” Watson said. “And I’m very happy to see the sunshine this morning.”
