Portland, Maine – A powerful snowstorm began intensifying across southern Maine and New Hampshire late Sunday, setting the stage for extremely dangerous travel conditions and major disruptions through Monday.
According to the National Weather Service in Gray, a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect through Monday evening for much of southwest Maine and southern, central, and northern New Hampshire. Snow totals of 12 to 18 inches are expected, with localized amounts approaching 2 feet possible, especially across coastal southwest Maine and southeast New Hampshire. In interior sections of Maine, including Somerset, Franklin, and Waldo counties, snowfall totals of 8 to 16 inches are forecast through early Tuesday.
Snowfall rates are expected to increase rapidly Sunday evening, with bands capable of producing 2 to 3 inches per hour overnight into early Monday. These intense snowbands could cause near-whiteout conditions and make roads impassable in a short period of time.
Communities including Portland, Biddeford, Sanford, Dover, Rochester, Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Conway, and Portsmouth are expected to see the greatest impacts. Maine DOT and New Hampshire DOT officials warn that travel is not recommended, as visibility will drop sharply and snow-covered roads will become extremely hazardous.
Residents are urged to delay all non-essential travel, prepare for prolonged snow removal operations, and carry emergency supplies if travel cannot be avoided. Both the Monday morning and evening commutes are expected to be severely affected.
Snow will gradually taper late Monday night into early Tuesday. Warnings remain in effect into Monday evening or early Tuesday depending on location, and additional updates are expected as the storm evolves.
