How much snow was left on the ground from the Friday and Saturday nor'easter depended on where you were.

According to the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine's snow totals, Durham received over three inches of snow, while Somersworth and Rochester received between five and six inches. Northwood received 9.2 inches, and Deerfield 9 inches.

But areas right along the immediate coast received far less.

Meteorologist Sarah Thunberg at the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, told Seacoast Current that much of the Seacoast region was on the threshold of being above or below freezing.

"That can make for some pretty intense changes of snowfall amounts just from one area, and then two miles over someplace could have five more inches."

Snow in Dover 12/17/22
Snow in Dover 12/17/22 (Jolana Miller, Townsquare Media)
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The storm was pretty clean in terms of being snow or rain, as there was not a lot of sleet or freezing rain.

"It's just in terms of how warm it was. If this storm was what has been one or two degrees cooler, that little bit of five miles from the coastline inland would have probably gotten several more inches of snow if it was one or two degrees colder," Thunberg said.

Thunberg compared Durham's 3.5 inch snowfall to just 1.2 inches across the bay at the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease.

"It was really, really, really tight gradient between from where there was only that one inch. And then just on the other side of the bay was three and a half inches already," Thunberg said.

Thunberg said the worst of the precipitation and will get lighter and lighter. Whether snow or rain falls depends on the temperature. She expects high temperatures around 40 to keep most of the precipitation mostly wet.

Expected snow totals from Friday/Saturday nor'easter
Expected snow totals from Friday/Saturday nor'easter (NWS Gray)
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Who Did Get Snow?

South Tamworth in Carroll County received the most snow from the storm at 16 inches, followed by 15 inches in Enfield in Grafton County, according to the National Weather Service. 4.5 inches fell in Sanford.

The Seacoast area also escaped the brunt of power outages. The New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management reported 50,000 customers without power statewide as of 7 a.m. A check of the utility outage maps show it was mostly in areas that received more snow.

Coastal Maine Power reported 12,000 customers without power as of 9:45 a.m., mostly in Acton, Biddeford, Hollis and Wells.

NH State Police said they will be enforcing Jessica's Law, which requires drivers to remove all snow and ice from their vehicle. Violators of the law face a fine of up to $500 for a first offense.

NH State Police with an overturned tractor trailer 12/16/22
NH State Police with an overturned tractor trailer 12/16/22 (NH State Police)
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Snow totals

As of 10 a.m., the National Weather Service reported these totals for the Seacoast region:

Rockingham County:
Deerfield  -  9.0 inches
Hampstead - 6.0
Stratham -  2.1
Kingston 1.5
Portsmouth Airport 1.2
Exeter 1.0

Strafford County:

Northwood 9.2 inches
Somersworth 6.0
Dover 5.0
Rochester 5.0
Durham 3.5

York County:
Acton 18 inches
Shapleigh 11.0
Biddeford 7.0
Berwick 6.5
East Baldwin 5.7
North Berwick 5.6
Old Orchard Beach 4.1
Kennebunk 3.5
Saco 2.5

What About Christmas Weekend?

There appears to be a storm that will impact New England and the northeast late in the week with snow or rain with potentially strong winds and coastal flooding, as tides will be astronomically high.

Thunberg and most meteorologists say it's far too early to make a definitive forecast despite it being a week of holiday travel.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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