Area road crews contend with season's first storm

Prospect Hill Road today under a crust of snow after plows had been through several times. (Harrison Thorp photo)

Town highway chiefs are urging residents to stay off the roads this morning as road crews continue to clean up after more than a foot of snow fell since the area’s first major snowstorm of the season blew in late last night.

Milton plow trucks were out in force last night beginning around 10 p.m. as precipitation began, said Milton Highway Dept. Chief Pat Smith.

He said the roads are slippery but passable and that a stiff wind continues to blow drifts even as the storm winds down.

He said he had four full-size town plows and four pickups working on town roads.

In Lebanon, Road Boss Larry Torno said six full-size plow trucks and seven one tons plus a grader were out beginning at 2 a.m. and keeping up with the storm’s wrath.

He said at one point snow was falling at two to three inches an hour, but that it was a fluffy, light snow which made it easier to clear.

Torno said it was too cold for salt or brine, but crews were putting sand down on the hills to enable safer passage.

He said the snow did seem to be winding down, but it would take crews about three hours after it stops to finish cleaning up and pushing back wind-whipped drifts.

Rochester’s Public Works Department was not immediately available for comment.

Maine State Police Trooper Adam Schmidt, who is assigned to Lebanon coverage today, said this morning that traffic was relatively light and the plows were doing their job. He said there had been no major safety incidents related to the storm thus far.

No area power outages had been reported by CMP or PSNH.

The storm is expected to have left the area by late this morning, but bitter cold and biting winds will continue through today, tonight and Monday.