Overnight temperatures below 20 degrees — and in the single digits in central Maine — could make for slippery conditions this morning, continuing to complicate Thanksgiving travel.
As a result of a wintry mix coating the roads Wednesday, about 50 cars slid off the highway in southern and central Maine on what’s known as the busiest travel day of the year.
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According to Maine State Police, there were no major accidents between Kittery and Hallowell on Interstate 295 or the Maine Turnpike.
More than 350 salt-and-sand trucks from the Department of Transportation were sent out to treat the roads Wednesday morning during the storm, which lasted until about 1 p.m. in most areas of the state.
Ted Talbot, a spokesman for the DOT, said crews planned to be on “black-ice watch” Wednesday evening and overnight, looking for troubled spots to treat.
Talbot said he expected heavy traffic on the state’s highways into today, especially because some holiday travelers likely decided to delay their trips until after the storm.
The storm dumped more than a foot of snow in some parts of the state. West Fryeburg reported the highest accumulation with 15 inches.
In Portland, however, there was more sleet and rain than snow, and only about an inch was left on the ground early Wednesday afternoon.
Central Maine Power reported that outages peaked at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, with 14,200 customers out of service. About 9,000 of those customers were in Cumberland County.
By 6:30 p.m., service had been restored to all but 325 customers, and total restoration was expected late Wednesday evening.
Although icy roads were expected this morning, the National Weather Service forecast predicted temperatures during the day between the mid-30s and lower 40s, which would melt what’s left on the roads.
Staff Writer Leslie Bridgers can be contacted at: 791-6364 or at
lbridgers@pressherald.com
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