Photo / Renee Cordes
Snow covered Mitchell Road in Cape Elizabeth, near a colorful observer.
December 17, 2020
Winter wallops southern Maine with snow, wind, but some businesses carry on
Photo / Peter Van Allen
A time-and-temperature sign said it all Thursday morning, while plows attempted to clear roads near the Maine Mall in South Portland.
By William Hall
For some Mainers eagerly anticipating a white Christmas, the holiday has come early.
Winter Storm Gail on Thursday morning plowed into southern Maine, delivering heavy snow, gusty winds and hundreds of weather closures for businesses and schools.
As of mid-morning, forecasts called for at least 1 foot of snow in Cumberland and York counties, with some areas receiving as much as 18 inches. Temperatures were in the teens.
The National Weather Service had issued a winter storm warning for all of York, Cumberland, Kennebec, Androscoggin, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties, as well as southern Oxford County.
North of Bangor, however, the storm was predicted to only leave a trace of snow, as Gail swerves out to sea. Earlier in the day and on Wednesday, the storm had pummelled much of the northeastern U.S., leaving over 40 inches of snow in some places.
Because the snow was dry and fluffy, it seemed to be having little impact on electricity delivery. Both of the state’s major utilities, Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power, were reporting only scattered outages.
For many people already doing business remotely, the storm created less disruption than it would have in pre-pandemic days.
At the Portland Regional Chamber’s Eggs & Issues Breakfast, a business forum being conducted virtually Thursday morning, one of the 440 registrants who tuned in looked at the bright side.
"It sure was nice to not have to get up extra early to shovel and then drive in on icy roads to attend such an informative event,” Gretchen Johnson, director of strategic partnerships at PretiFlaherty in Portland, told Mainebiz afterward. “Maybe one silver lining we will see this winter."
However, Sugar Mama’s Cafe in Saco attempted to brave the elements unsuccessfully. “Well, we tried to open but it was really bad out there,” a social media post from the business read. “It’s coming down fast, the roads are bad, the sidewalks are too.”
Driving conditions were treacherous across southern Maine, with traffic on Interstate 295 slowed to 20 mph in spots. At Portland International Jetport, nearly all of the morning flight departures were canceled.
Still, many businesses were in operation. Coffee shops and gas stations had customers, and the couriers and delivery trucks that have become essential during the pandemic were making their rounds.
Dot’s, a gourmet shop and deli in Lincolnville, expressed a typical response online: “It’s Maine, we’re open, it’s what we do.”
Photo / Peter Van Allen
A snow plow driver clears a path at the Doubletree Hotel in South Portland.
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