About 5 inches of snow fell on Greater Portland on Tuesday, but the morning and evening commutes weren’t all that treacherous. Police reported no major accidents or fatalities related to the snow, only a few cars sliding off roads.
The trouble for drivers was expected to come Tuesday night and into this morning, as snow turned to sleet and freezing rain, making roads slick.
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“The roads were in pretty good shape for the commute home,” said Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety. “The challenge will be (this) morning, depending upon how much freezing rain we get.”
The National Weather Service office in Gray said the snow started to turn to freezing rain in the Portland area around 7 p.m., making roads treacherous for anyone who had to be out Tuesday night.
State police said the speed limit on the Maine Turnpike and Interstate 295 was lowered to 45 mph. They received reports of about a dozen cars sliding off roads.
Local police departments said it appeared that most drivers were staying off the roads Tuesday night.
“It’s greasy out there,” said South Portland police Lt. Chris Cook.
Cook said there had been no major accidents caused by the storm.
The freezing was expected to continue for several hours, said National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Sensabaugh.
the time the precipitation ends this morning, Sensabaugh said, there should be about a quarter-inch of ice on top of the snow that fell Tuesday. He said drivers should use caution during this morning’s commute.
Sensabaugh said Tuesday’s snowfall amounts varied from town to town.
“The snow had a good fluff factor,” he said.
He said Portland got 5 inches; Gorham got 6.6 inches; Cumberland Center got 5.5 inches; Gray got 5.4 inches; Sanford got 7.5 inches; and Hollis received 6.9 inches.
The timing of the storm, which dragged on through most of the day, gave road crews ample time to clear streets.
Nicole Clegg, spokeswoman for the city of Portland, said road crews treated streets with sand and salt in the morning before turning most of their operations to snow clearing in the afternoon.
That appeared to work. Most city streets were cleared of snow by nightfall, which meant the city didn’t have to impose its dreaded overnight parking ban.
“It was a different storm because of the rain that was projected. Our focus shifted,” Clegg said.
Public works crews spent several hours earlier in the day clearing out catch basins to prevent flooding.
However, on Tuesday afternoon, a motorist drove her car into a fire hydrant near Preble Street and Marginal Way, causing the street to flood.
Police set up barricades in front of the area, forcing traffic to be rerouted.
Clegg encouraged residents to help the Portland Fire Department shovel snow away from fire hydrants. The department is responsible for maintaining access to more than 1,600 hydrants.
Sensabaugh said the next big winter storm could move into the state on Friday, but it’s too early to predict how much, if any, snow it will bring.
Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at: dhoey@pressherald.com
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