A winter storm reached New England and blanketed parts of New Hampshire and southern Maine with snow overnight Thursday and into Friday morning.
The region’s first notable snowfall of 2023 brought 2 to 6 inches of snow to most areas in New Hampshire and Maine before lunchtime, according to meteorologist Nikki Becker of the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine.
A wintry mix that began Thursday evening turned to snow within a matter of hours, beginning around midnight for a number of towns and cities throughout the region.
“It started raining and snowing around 7 p.m. last night and then it changed to sleet and rain about an hour later,” Becker said Friday morning. “That lasted for about an hour and changed to all rain till around 9 p.m. Then around 9 p.m., it was a rainy and snowy mix all the way until midnight, then after midnight it was all snow.”
A winter weather system that has stretched from Colorado to the East Coast this week is expected to taper off. AccuWeather senior meteorologist John Gresiak told USA TODAY on Friday that “The heaviest snow is going to be across the mountains of the Northeast, from the Adirondacks over to the Green and White mountains and into Maine,” though snowfall is likely to slow into Friday night.
And across the country, snow impacting Utah and Arizona was expected to spread into Colorado and New Mexico throughout Friday, according to AccuWeather.
Friday's winter weather forecast: As storm moves east, snow returns to Utah, Arizona and other states
What are the snow totals in the New Hampshire, Maine communities?
Snowfall totals called into the National Weather Service beginning early Friday indicated towns and cities perched along the New Hampshire and Maine coastline received lesser amounts of snow than others in the two bordering states.
Early morning reports from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, detailed roughly three inches of snow, while over the bridge in Kittery, Maine about two inches of snow had been called in.
At 7 a.m., according to Becker, Dover, New Hampshire had gotten just under six inches of snow, while neighboring Durham had over four inches an hour later and Great Bay received three-and-a-half inches.
Around 5 a.m., Kennebunk, Maine had about four-and-a-half inches.
Becker added that reports of total snowfall were higher in northern areas and communities further inland, with some receiving between six and eight inches, mainly because those municipalities had less of a wintry mix coming down at the beginning of the storm.
Flooding advisory issued at beach areas in NH and Maine
While high winds had not been recorded by meteorologists, a coastal flooding advisory was issued by the National Weather Service for the Portland, Maine, area down to the southern Maine coastline.
Peak high tides were occurring shortly after 9 a.m., Becker added.
How has the storm affect roads?
Roads made slick by the storm led to New Hampshire State Police responding to close to 40 weather-related incidents before 7 a.m. Friday. In one instance, though no injuries were sustained, a car rolled over on Interstate 93 northbound in the central part of New Hampshire.
“Remember to leave yourself extra travel time to get to your destination this morning and clear the snow and ice from your vehicle prior to driving,” New Hampshire State Police posted in social media.
The Maine Turnpike Authority announced late Thursday evening the speed limit was reduced to 45 mph in some places, at the request of Maine State Police
“Please travel with caution and adjust your speed for conditions. No over limits permitted,” the turnpike authority stated.
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation reported just one early crash on Interstate 95 on Friday with a traffic impact. The accident caused the right lane of the road to be closed temporarily.
Contributing: Ashley R. Williams, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Winter weather: NH, Maine see snow, slick roads in 2023 storm
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