Friday’s winter storm made for slow-going travel, with snowfall picking up just in time for the morning commute.
Snow started Friday morning, with the steadiest snow bands moving in during the commute. Snowfall rates near one inch per hour were expected to make travel difficult, with heavier snow bands sitting just off shore.
Forecasters predict snowfall intensity will start to wane after midday. Light snow will continue through the afternoon, ending between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Towns and cities in Southern Maine declared parking bans to give plows a chance to clear streets. In Portland, a ban goes into effect from 10 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Thursday. Click here for a full list of closings, cancellations, and bans.
Speeds on the Maine Turnpike have been reduced to 45 MPH, with at least one crash reported on the highway near the Scarborough exit. Maine State Police were at the scene where a tractor-trailer had gone off the roadway.
Plow trucks are trying to keep roadways clear, and with labor shortages impacting public works departments across the state, Erin Courtney with the Maine Turnpike Authority told us on the WGAN Morning News they’re in relatively good shape when it comes to plow truck drivers, but they’re still looking to bring on more drivers and mechanics in York County.
Courtney said that with no sleet or freezing rain in the mix this time around, cleaning up should be straightforward.
