BANGOR, Maine — Mainers woke up Friday to a much stronger winter storm and more snowfall than was predicted Thursday.
The wet, heavy snow created hazardous driving conditions in much of the state and caused schools, courts and government offices to close early Friday.
Emera Maine reported 1,248 customers were without power as of 6:05 p.m., with 883 of the outages reported in the towns of Birch Harbor, Gouldsboro, Corea and Prospect Harbor. Central Maine Power reported 492 outages in Waldo, Hancock, Knox and York counties, with the vast majority of them in southern Maine. Power was expected to be restored overnight, both utilities said on their websites.
Snowfall had ended by 5:30 p.m. in southern Maine and was expected to end in Bangor by 7 p.m. and by 9 p.m. Down East.
The greatest accumulation recorded as of 6 p.m. by the National Weather Service in Caribou and Gray was 11 inches in the Washington County community of Whiting and 10 inches in both Turner in Androscoggin County and Phippsburg in Sagadahoc County. Snow totals Down East were predicted to reach 12 inches.
Between 9 and 10 inches fell in the Wells-Berwick area in York County while 8.8 inches was recorded at the Portland Jetport, Eric Sinsabaugh, a meteorologist in Gray, said Friday. Less snow fell in the western mountains, with Oxford recording 5.3 inches.
No snow fell in the St. John Valley, and little snow accumulated in rest of Aroostook County, according to Mark Bloomer, a meteorologist in Caribou. He said Friday that 2.4 inches was recorded in North Amity and his office received just a trace of snow.
As of 6 p.m. in Penobscot County, Bangor had recorded 8.5 inches, while 9 inches was measured in Hampden and 7.5 inches was recorded in Glenburn. But totals in the area were expected to rise.
Less snow fell in Piscataquis County, with 6 inches recorded in Dover-Foxcroft and 4.5 measured in Milo.
The forecast for the weekend was partly sunny for all the state, with temperatures ranging from the high 30s in the south to the low 20s in north. The outlook for next week is “uncertain,” with more snowfall possible Tuesday, Sinsabaugh said.