Snowstorm leaves 250,000 without power in Maine

A winter storm warning is in effect until 6 p.m. Friday for northern Maine, according to the weather service in Caribou.

By Theresa Waldrop | CNN

A spring snowstorm in Maine left about 250,000 without power Friday as the heavy, wet snow brought down trees and power lines.

Some areas north of Portland were hit with more than a foot of snow, and in Franklin County, as much as 20 inches were reported, according to the National Weather Service.

Almost a third — more than 200,000 — of Central Maine Power customers had no electricity Friday morning and some areas may be without for “more than a day,” the utility said.

“Strong winds and heavy snow overnight have caused numerous outages,” CMP said in a tweet. “Our crews are working quickly and safely to restore power.”

A winter storm warning is in effect until 6 p.m. Friday for northern Maine, according to the weather service in Caribou.

“Travel could be very difficult,” the weather service said. “Patchy blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility and cause localized hazardous travel.”

The power outages in some areas appear “to be the most since the wind storm of Oct 2017,” the National Weather Service in Caribou said.

Winds will “bring 20-30 degree cooler air to the region,” the National Weather Service said, but the snow “will taper off overnight into Saturday across northern New England (especially Maine) after some significant accumulations.”

That’s as the Southeast braces for severe weather, including tornadoes, on Easter Sunday.

“Easter Sunday could be a very dangerous day in the Southeast,” CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said. “All of the ingredients for severe weather are likely coming together. You have strong low pressure, strong wind shear, ample Gulf of Mexico moisture, that could lead to multiple tornadoes across the Southeast.”