April storm: Heavy, wet snow, rain, winds to hit Seacoast NH, Maine

Heavy, wet snow is forecasted to fall throughout the Seacoast and Strafford County in New Hampshire and York County in Maine, with accumulations ranging from a few inches to around a foot. With heavy wind gusts expected Wednesday and Thursday, power outages may occur, and precipitation may not end until the weekend.

Stephen Baron, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said coastal areas in New Hampshire and Maine locally are projected to receive 3-4 inches of snowfall. Inland, Dover could see upwards six to eight inches, while Rochester, Somersworth and Sanford, Maine may get 8 to 12 inches of snow.

When is driving expected to be worst?

Snow was expected to begin falling Wednesday around 4 p.m. throughout the Seacoast and southern Maine, per the National Weather Service. 

“I would certainly expect hazardous travel Thursday morning, even late Wednesday night,” Baron said. “That’s going to be the worst part of the storm as far as snowfall rates and visibility.”

The inclement weather will begin as snow, then could switch over to rain and eventually become sleet. 

“The bulk of the storm is going to be tomorrow but it’s looking like snow showers could linger until Friday morning,” Baron said Wednesday morning.

Wind on Wednesday will consistently gust between 30 to 35 mph and will likely increase to 45 to 55 mph later in the day and throughout Thursday, according to NWS.

Kittery parking ban is still in effect

Kittery police reminded residents the town's winter parking ban is still in effect. No vehicle should be parked on any town way between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., regardless of weather conditions. Violations could result in a fine and the vehicle being towed at the owner’s expense.

Power outages are a concern

Unitil and Central Maine Power began preparing for the possible effects of the storm in recent days, the two utilities announced this week.

Communities in central New Hampshire and parts of western Maine are in the line of fire, predicted to potentially have 12 to 18 inches of snowfall over the next few days, Baron said. That forecast only increases in higher terrain areas in the two states, which could receive two feet of fresh snow.

Power outage tracker:Follow latest updates here

“The showers get very scattered. Some of these models have scattered snow showers into Saturday morning. I think it’s going to be very variable depending on where you are. Definitely scattered showers through Friday,” Baron said.

Willand Warming Center reopens

The Willand Warming Center of Strafford County, which had closed for the season, has reopened at 30 Willand Drive in Somersworth through 9 a.m. Friday, April 5.

Reservations/pre-registrations are not needed; access is walk-in only. The warming center welcomes anyone in need of a warm space.

People who need help getting to the Warming Center can call 603-742-2709 for assistance.

Parking bans announced in Dover, Rochester. No trash collection in Portsmouth.

In Dover, a citywide parking ban will take effect 8 p.m. Wednesday and last until 6 a.m. Thursday. Parking is banned on city streets, sidewalks and adjacent public parking areas, as well as the Third Street and Belknap parking lots, and the Orchard Street lot's public parking spaces.

“The ban will be in effect downtown on Thursday, April 4, from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. only,” the city announced Wednesday morning.

A similar parking ban will occur in Rochester from 9 p.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday. No vehicles without an exemption permit are allowed to park on any city streets or in any city parking lots during the ban in the Lilac City. 

On Thursday, there will be no curbside trash collection in Portsmouth, per the city’s department of public works. In addition, the recycling center and transfer station at 680 Peverly Hill Road will be closed all day Thursday due to the storm.

COAST bus announces curtailing of service

COAST bus announced it will curtail all services effective mid-evening on Wednesday, April 3 and Thursday, April 4. “The mixing of precipitation, rates of snowfall, high winds, visibility concerns and total amount predicted makes it look like travel will be very messy late Wednesday and Thursday. We feel this is the most sensible decision we could make based on the predicted conditions,” stated Rad Nichols, Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) executive director. 

COAST plans to return to normal operations on Frida. When COAST resumes service, expect delays as the storm continues to pull away and storm cleanup may still be affecting the roads and walkways. 

Information: coastbus.org

This story will be updated.