Governor Paul LePage declared a limited state of emergency as slippery driving conditions, downed trees and white-out conditions led to a spike in accidents and shut down many local roads.

The massive, "nor'easter" storm dropped snow as far south as South Carolina, with snowflakes flying in coastal Charleston following a string of days over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27C).

National Weather Service meteorologists reported the heaviest snowfall in northern Maine and along the state's northeastern coast, shattering records for earliest double-digit snowfall totals in Bangor, which received 12 inches (30 cm), and Caribou, with 10.1 inches (25.67 centimeters).

The small town of Cary, Maine, along the Canadian border in northeastern corner of the state received a record-breaking 21 inches (53 centimeters).