Snowstorm blankets Maine

PORTLAND, Maine – A winter storm blew through northern New England on Monday, dumping 2 feet of snow in spots, forcing hundreds of schools to cancel classes and leaving tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power.

More than 127,000 utility customers in Maine remained without electricity Monday evening after wet, heavy snow snapped tree limbs, power lines and utility poles.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency said about 15 warming shelters had been set up around the state. Bangor Hydro Electric urged residents who lacked power to prepare for the possibility that it might not be restored until Wednesday.

Lows for early today were forecast in the single digits in northern Maine and about 20 degrees in the south, the National Weather Service said.

Gov. John Baldacci declared a state of emergency, extending the hours that power crews can work to restore electricity. Baldacci, who was in Washington attending a National Governors Association conference, decided to return to Maine on Monday afternoon.

Central Maine Power and Bangor Hydro Electric were getting help from out-of-state utilities that sent line crews to help restore service. The companies said the work was complicated by deep and heavy snow, poor road conditions and the rural locations of many outages.

Heavy snow fell across most of Maine through Monday morning, with some places reporting rates of 3 to 4 inches per hour.

In Vermont, driving snow covered roads and forced the closure of northbound Interstate 89 between Waterbury and Richmond for two hours Monday because of accidents, the Vermont State Police said.

Several thousand customers in eastern New Hampshire also lost power, but most had their lights back on by afternoon.

Hundreds of schools in Maine canceled classes for the day on what was supposed to be the first day back after a weeklong vacation. The storm caused some school closings in Vermont and New Hampshire, but many were already closed for vacation.