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Sunrise Herald is the early morning news update at pressherald.com. It is updated at 6, 7, 8 and 9 on weekdays.
Welcome to the Sunrise Herald with Giselle Goodman, the place to go to get the news from overnight and beyond...
IN THE WEATHER
At 9 a.m., it was 33 degrees and ...*sigh*... snowing in downtown Portland.
If you thought the sight of brown grass, mud and grit the winter melt left behind were depressing, just wait. ...*sigh*...
Snow. All day in the south. Heavy here. Maybe up to 8 inches when it's done. The worst of it is expected in southern spots, like interior York and Cumberland counties ...*sigh*....
Portland reached its milestone 100-inch snow total mark early on today, when forecasters at the National Weather Service got a report at 6:45 a.m. that an inch had fallen already. Maine's biggest city needed only six-tenths of an inch to reach the milestone. It was worse three years ago in 2005, when the city ended the season with 102.1 inches of snow. The all-time record, though, is 141.5 inches, set during the winter of 1970-71.
So ... that's pretty exciting , right? ...*sigh*....
Blue = snow. Pink = ice. Green = rain.
But, hey dear reader, here's the bright side – We just have to get through today. Tomorrow the sun comes back, temps go up and by Sunday, it will be full sun with the air temps in the upper 40s.
So, buck up little campers. We're in this together. Let's pool our happy thoughts and cheer us on some Spring...
FROM OUR WEATHER WATCHERS
Roads are slow and as the slush accumulates, slick. Several cars have slid off 295, but no lane closures. Pavement (yes, pavement) temperature is hovering around 34 as well. That means the roads aren't icing up, but they are getting slushy.
Best word of advice to commuters is to slow down."
• SHAWN in YARMOUTH said: "It is a pretty morning out, if you like snow, which I do. At 6:30 the thermometer says 38 degrees. There is a fresh coat of about 1-1/2 inches of good snowball snow. There is still a very light snow falling from the sky. One of those postcard mornings. Guess I have to wear boots today."
• At 7 a.m., a NEW WEATHER WATCHER JAMES from CAPE ELIZABETH said: Here in Cape Elizabeth it was raining a cold rain at 4 a.m. but by 5:30 had switched over to snow and covered the ground. It is still coming down at a good clip and is 32 degrees.
• At 8:30 a.m., a NEW WEATHER WATCHER KAREN from STEEP FALLS said: "As you can see by the attached photos, the kids still had school today. We have 2" so far and it's pretty heavy and steady coming down. Temp is sitting at 30."
THANKS weather watchers! E-mail ggoodman@pressherald.com if you have more to share...
There are some cancellations to report this morning, although not as many as if it were December. Schools are really struggling since most have run out of snow days, so the last thing they need is another snow day. Click the school house for the full list. Here are some of the cancellation highlights:
Catherine McAuley High School, Portland
Collaborative School, New Gloucester
Raymond Schools
SAD 15, Gray New Gloucester
SAD 61, Lakes region
ON THE ROAD:
That's just about all you need to know about the driving conditions out there. They stink. There have been at least four roll-overs reported in the past hour, none with serious injury. No fatalities. But it's still early. Therefore, a lecture:
DON'T try to get anywhere fast today. You will probably crash your car, maybe hurting yourself or others.
DON'T underestimate the conditions. Yes, it's March, but snow is snow and the roads are very slippery.
DON'T expect a tow truck or a police officer to come to your aid right away, if you are in a wreck, unless you are seriously injured. They already have their hands full.
DO remember that everybody is just as sick and tired of this as you are. That includes police, paramedics and road crews. An inch of patience and kindness will go a mile today.
• AT 5:45 A.M., the speed was dropped to 45 mph from York to the New Gloucester tolls. Maine Turnpike crews are slow getting out today, because the warm pavement (really, it was above freezing all night) isn't holding the snow just yet. But as the snow really gets going, so will they.
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A SMALL FIRE IN CIANBRO'S PITTSFIELD SHOP yesterday afternoon was out nearly as quickly as it started.
The fire caused no damage and employees at the Hunnewell Avenue facility were able to return to work, said Capt. Mike Havey of the Pittsfield Fire Department.
The fire, which was reported a little before 2 p.m., likely started in a dust collector, Havey said.
"They think the wheel that collects the dust got off-center and was rubbing against metal," Havey said. The resulting sparks likely nestled into the filters and touched off the blaze.
"That's the only thing that was burning when we got there," Havey said. "They had it mostly out."
Cianbro is one of the East Coast’s largest civil and heavy industrial construction, and construction services, companies.
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At 1 p.m. today in Vassalboro, nine new Maine State Troopers will receive their badges at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro.
Gov. John Baldacci will be the keynote speaker at the swearing-in ceremony which completes a nine-week training program for the graduates on state police policies and procedures.
The new members are (broken down by where they will be working):
TROOP A - YORK COUNTY
Benjamin Smith, 25, of South Berwick, who was a patrolman with the Durham, N.H., Police Department. He is a 2000 graduate of Marshwood High School in South Berwick and served four years with the Marines.
Matthew Williams, 28, of Portland is an eight-year veteran of the Air Force. He is a graduate of Presque Isle High School.
TROOP B - ANDROSCOGGIN AND OXFORD COUNTIES
Paul Casey, 26, of Rumford, joins the state police following four years with the Rumford Police Department. Casey is a 2001 graduate of Mountain Valley High School in Rumford and he will patrol in Oxford County.
Thomas Pappas, Jr., 26, of Bowdoin, has been a patrolman with the Portland Police Department and a corrections officer at the Cumberland County Jail. He is a 1999 graduate of Narraguagus High School in Cherryfield. Pappas will patrol in Androscoggin County.
Jason Wing, 22, of Auburn served four years with the Marines. He is a 2003 graduate of Lewiston High School and will patrol in Oxford County.
TROOP C - KENNEBEC AND SOMERSET COUNTIES
Jon Brown, 33, of St. Albans, has been a patrolman with the Dexter Police Department and a corrections officer with the Maine Department of Corrections. Brown is a 1993 graduate of Nokomis Regional High School in Newport and will patrol in Somerset County.
Breanne Petrini, 25, of Winthrop, has served with the Winthrop Police Department as a patrol officer and as a deputy with the Androscoggin Sheriff's Department. She is a 2001 graduate of Winthrop High School and a 2007 graduate of Thomas College. Petrini is a member of the U.S. Army Reserves. She will patrol in Kennebec and Somerset counties.
TROOP D - WALDO COUNTY
Thomas Welch, 29, of Lincolnville, has been a deputy with the Knox County Sheriff's Department. He served four years with the Marines and is a 1997 graduate of Camden-Rockport High School. Welch will patrol in Waldo County.
TROOP J - HANCOCK AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
Christopher Smith, 28, of Hancock, has been a patrol officer with the Mount Desert Police Department. He is a 1998 graduate of Machias High School and a 2003 graduate of the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Smith will patrol in Hancock and Washington counties.
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