A snowstorm forecast to dump as much as 8 inches of snow along the Maine coast contributed to several traffic accidents Monday, one involving a jack-knifed tractor-trailer that blocked traffic on Route 202 in Alfred for more than two hours.
Speed limits on the Maine Turnpike were lowered to 45 mph as the storm brought blowing snow and frigid temperatures to southern Maine. The National Weather Service in Gray issued a winter storm warning effective until noon Tuesday.
The temperature in Portland was 19 degrees at 4 p.m. Monday, but with the gusting, cold wind it felt like 3 degrees, said James Brown, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray.
“It was kind of nasty out there,” Brown said.
The snow-covered roads and blowing snow made driving difficult. State police said there were several reports of cars sliding off roads, but motorists for the most part seemed to be driving cautiously.
There was one report of a serious accident Monday. Manuel Almanzar was driving a tractor-trailer south near the Maine State Police barracks in Alfred at 2 p.m. when a pickup slowed to turn in front of him, said Steve McCausland, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Almanzar slowed, but the momentum of the truck caused the cab to snap sideways, police said. The cab was damaged and the fuel tanks were punctured.
The Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation responded, as did local fire departments.
Nobody was hurt but the road was closed for more than two hours as crews cleaned up the spill and moved the truck. McCausland said the accident was likely weather-related because it had started to snow just before the crash.
Monday’s storm moved into southern Maine before noon and gradually moved north, eventually heading into the Canadian Maritimes, according to the weather service.
Extreme cold temperatures, blowing snow and dangerous wind gusts led the Maine Department of Transportation to cancel ferry service Monday afternoon between Rockland the island communities of North Haven and Vinalhaven. Winds were 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.
Brown said coastal regions from Cumberland and York counties south into New Hampshire were expected to get 6 to 8 inches of snow. Snowfall amounts were expected to be slightly lower away from the coast, with 4 to 6 inches expected in inland areas such as Fryeburg and Lewiston, Brown said.
The snow that fell Monday was mostly light and fluffy and was falling at a rate of about 1 to 2 inches every six hours. By 8 p.m., two inches had fallen at the Portland International Jetport. Kennebunk reported 2.7 inches, and Phippsburg in Sagadahoc County had 3.2 inches.
Snow showers were expected Tuesday in Portland, Brown said. Tuesday’s snow accumulation weren’t expected to be more than 1 or 2 inches, he said.
Dozens of public functions, evening classes and sporting events were canceled Monday night.
Parking bans were in place in several towns starting Monday evening and running through Tuesday morning, including Brunswick, Scarborough, Topsham, Yarmouth, York, Saco, Windham, Kennebunk, Lewiston, Sanford and Old Orchard Beach.
Portland did not implement a parking ban Monday evening, but the city’s spokesperson, Jessica Grondin, said a ban might be imposed Tuesday.
Staff Writer David Hench contributed to this report.
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