Thousands Left Without Power in New England After Pre-Thanksgiving Snowstorm

Thousands Left Without Power in New England After Pre-Thanksgiving Snowstorm By Jillian MacMath, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer November 30, 2014; 11:05 PM ET More Sharing ServicesShare| Share on facebookShare on twitter Share on linkedin . Thousands of people across New England had to spend their evening in darkness this Thanksgiving, as a powerful Northeast snowstorm wiped out electricity across the region on Wednesday. As of Sunday night, more than 500 customers served by the Public Service of New Hampshire remained without power, according to the utility. The last of the remaining 200 Unitil customers in the state without service had their power restored by Sunday morning. The pre-Thanksgiving storm across the Northeast downed tree limbs and power lines across the region, knocking out power to thousands. (Twitter/Central Maine Power) "Once the damage assessment phase is complete, we'll have a clear picture as to how long it will take to restore power to all customers, but it is clear we will be working through Thanksgiving in Concord," Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O'Meara said. RELATED: AccuWeather.com Winter Weather Center Northeast Regional Radar REPORTS: More than 300,000 Without Power in the Wake of Northeast Snowstorm In neighboring Maine, the problem is similar. The combination of heavy snow on power lines and car accidents resulting in downed utility poles had left more than 100,000 people served by Central Maine Power in darkness. By Sunday evening, the utility reported that nearly 500 customers remained without power across the state. "The heavy, wet snow that started around midday has built up on roads, tree limbs and power lines, causing numerous outages across our service area," said Gail Rice, spokesperson for Central Maine Power in a press release Wednesday. "We know people are eager to get power back, or get an estimate on restoration time, so they can move ahead with Thanksgiving plans. But with widespread storm damage, and snow still creating difficult travel and working conditions for crews, we're not able to provide restoration estimates yet," Rice said. Though the snow retreated for most areas early Thursday, temperatures through Saturday will hover at or below freezing, preventing much of the snow from melting. Additional outages may amount as the heavy snow lingers, testing the strength of tree limbs and power lines throughout the region. The chilly air will also make it more of a struggle for residents who rely on electric heat.