Heavy snow Saturday pummeled Lewiston and Auburn by what is predicted to be the strongest winter storm of the season. 

Beginning as light snowfall around 7 a.m., the storm’s intensity increased as the streets were swept with heavy winds and low visibility that seemingly wouldn’t relent.

“The worst of the weather is moving into the area now and will continue like this for the next five or six hours,” said Michael Clair, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Gray. “The high pressure band is passing through the Eastern and Central parts of the state, continuing until it tapers off at the Western Mountains.”

A blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service has been extended  to 8 p.m. as conditions will worsen throughout the day, continuing into the evening with wind gusts reaching 40 mph. 

A pickup truck struck the left wing of a Maine Turnpike plow truck Saturday morning at mile 83 of Interstate 95 northbound in Lewiston. Maine State Police photo

The hazardous conditions have been rife for vehicular accidents. At 10:55 a.m., a driver of a red Toyota pickup truck collided with a Maine Turnpike Authority plow truck on Interstate 95 at mile 83 northbound in Lewiston, said Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety.  

A pickup truck struck the left wing of a Maine Turnpike plow truck Saturday morning at mile 83 of Interstate 95 northbound in Lewiston. Maine State Police photo

Maine State Police responded after the driver of the pickup attempted to go around the plow on the median side where there was no room. He then hit the left wing of the plow causing it to bend back and puncture the tank that holds the brine solution which is used to treat the roads, Moss said. 

There were no injuries to either driver. The Maine State Police and the Maine Bureau of Highway of Safety would like to remind drivers to give plows some room. Do not follow too closely behind, and do not crowd the plow when passing.

Auburn fire and police departments received reports around 2:15 p.m. for a vehicle that slammed into a telephone pole on Poland Spring Road, Auburn, sending the car into an embankment and splitting the pole in two.  The three people inside the vehicle were uninjured.

Once the snow diminishes later this evening…watch out for tumbling temperatures and wind chills as bitterly cold conditions return. #mewx #nhwx pic.twitter.com/CDee3uL26x

— NWS Gray (@NWSGray) January 29, 2022

The national weather service predicts continuing inclement weather into Sunday. According to their website, wind chill values could be as low as -13 and gusts as high as 20 mph. Clear and mild weather will settle in the evening with a low of -4.