AUGUSTA — Trick-or-treaters and plow crews alike were gearing up Friday for what promised to be an uncommonly early season snow storm.

Whether it will be a trick or a treat depends on whom you ask.

Additional Photos

LOOKING LIKE WINTER: Rutland, Vt., residents woke up to this view to the east on Friday morning as a storm left a cover of snow. There were up to 6 inches of snow atop Killington. More snow and rain is predicted across New England tonight. AP photo

The National Weather Service was expecting snow to begin falling tonight and to drop from 3 to 7 inches on central Maine before ending Sunday morning.

The snow has the potential to interrupt power, since leaves remaining on trees will contribute to weigh down tree limbs near power lines, forecasters said Friday.

“Confidence in precipitation is high. However, the amounts are in question due to the uncertainty in the track of the storm,” National Weather Service forecasters said. “In addition, warm air near the coast may cause a back and forth transition between rain and snow and limit accumulations.”

Augusta Public Works Director Lesley Jones said her crews finished preparing the season’s salt and sand Thursday and spent Friday getting the trucks ready for a full plow.

“We were just going through at a regular pace to get the trucks ready,” she said. “We just had to speed up a little.”

As is custom, crews will focus on plowing main streets and country roads first and, depending on the amount of snow that falls, hit the side streets last.

The snow is expected to melt quickly, with temperatures in the 50s on Sunday.

Several construction projects around the city, including lower State Street, were forced to complete hasty patch jobs to make streets ready for the plow trucks.

Early season storms are tricky, because roads are not yet frozen and so are more prone to damage by plows, Jones said.

“If we don’t have to plow, we’re happy not to have to go out yet,” Jones said.

Meanwhile, those planning Halloween celebrations are also keeping an eye on the forecast.

Dan Emery, organizer of the Howls & Hounds parade and festivities from 1 to 4 p.m. today in downtown Augusta, said the event will go on rain or shine.

Or snow.

“As far as things go right now, we’re still going for it,” Emery said Friday afternoon. “Unless it’s really, really horrible, I don’t think we’re going to cancel.”

Emery said updates will be available on the events page on the social networking site Facebook, which can be found at Facebook.com/AugustaDowntown.

“We’ll have an announcement there either way,” Emery said.

Jean Brown of Windy Ridge Deer Farm in China — which is scheduled to host the Devil’s Den Haunted Hayride and Fall Festival from 4 to 11 p.m. today and Sunday — said they have not yet decided whether to cancel any portion of the event.

“We’re kind of watching the weather,” Brown said. “We don’t know when the storm is coming in. The weatherman can’t make up his mind.”

Those looking for information on the event can call Brown at 557-3377.

“They’ll either get a hay ride or a sleigh ride,” Brown said.

John LaCorte of the National Weather Service in State College, Pa., said the storm was expected to dump several inches of snow up and down the East Coast.

“This is very, very unusual,” LaCorte said. “It has all the look and feel of a classic midwinter nor’easter. It’s going to be very dangerous.”

Jones checked the history books on Friday and learned there have been three October snowstorms since 1975. Those storms combined dumped less than 6 inches total.

Jones said however much snow falls, there is at least one thing for which she is thankful.

“It’s an overnight storm and it’s not a workday, so we don’t have to worry about commuters in the morning,” she said.

Craig Crosby–621-5642

ccrosby@centralmaine.com

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