PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Aroostook County saw more than a foot of snow on Saturday and Sunday in the first significant snowfall of the season.
Caribou received the most snowfall with a little more than 13 inches. Presque Isle saw 11 1/2 inches, Houlton 10 inches and Fort Kent seven inches, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Timothy Duda.
The storm was not better or worse than what was predicted, Duda said. Yet, it caused crashes and power outages throughout Aroostook County.
Across The County, 355 Versant Power customers were still without power at around 10:15 a.m. on Monday. That number had been close to 6,000 over the weekend, Versant spokesperson Judy Long said Monday. The outages were mostly centered around the Houlton and Presque Isle areas. Caribou had some, while the St. John Valley reported the fewest, Long said.
On Monday morning, Versant was working to restore power for those still affected by the storm. Long asked residents driving on Monday to be mindful of line workers as they navigate the still-harsh conditions.
“We do expect to have power restored to all customers affected by this weekend’s storm before the afternoon,” Long said. “And definitely by the end of the day.”
Even for a population used to driving in all seasons, the snow led to harsh driving conditions across The County. The Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office reported Saturday evening that several car crashes had been reported due to snowy roads.
A view of the Meduxnekeag river in Houlton, with trees covered in snow due to the snowstorm which affected most of New England the weekend of Dec. 5-6; Residents of Houlton walk along the Meduxnekeag River Trail; The Gateway Crossing bridge in Houlton’s Riverfront Park. Credit: Alexander MacDougall | Houlton Pioneer Times
“Please stay home if you do not need to be out,” the sheriff’s office said. “If you are out, slow down and be safe.”
A number of trees and lines were also reported down throughout The County. One tree on Caribou Road, the primary road from Presque Isle to Caribou, made the road impassable, the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office said. The department also reported a downed tree in the southern Aroostook town of Merrill.
On Saturday evening, Presque Isle’s Main Street was busy, with many people seemingly unfazed by the storm. People could be seen picking up pizza at Domino’s and eating at sit-down restaurants open along Aroostook County’s busiest street.
Presque Isle restaurants differed on whether they would close early: Mainely Mexican shut down at 6 p.m., while a representative of Governor’s Restaurant said they would likely close at 7 or 8 p.m.
Ruby Tuesday employees at the Aroostook Centre Mall and Irish Setter Pub said they would still remain open until 9 p.m., the latest possible time allowed for restaurants under a curfew issued by Gov. Janet Mills.
Traffic became scarce as snow accumulated on Sunday morning and afternoon, though a few residents braved the snow to go shopping or get lunch. Walmart — a common spot for residents on weekends — had customers, though it was less busy than usual.
One event that was canceled because of the storm was Northern Maine Community College’s Gaming for a Cause charity fundraiser. The fundraiser will instead begin Dec. 12.