(CNN) -- Many Mainers may have trouble getting their turkeys roasted Thursday, as tens of thousands of residents woke up this morning to find the lights out.
As of 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, Central Maine Power reported more than 102,000 customers had no power, while Emera, the state's second-largest utility company, reported 8,000 customers without electricity.
There was no indication when power would be restored.
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Major storm hampering Thanksgiving travel'Damage assessment is currently under way and estimated restoration times will be posted as damage is assessed,' Emera's website said.
The tally included 42,200 in York County, 25,700 people in Cumberland County and 12,800 in Sagadahoc County, the power company said.
Cumberland County is home to Maine's largest city, Portland.
'I don't have a generator, so I don't want this to go on too long. I would just like to keep it at a few hours at the most,' Portland resident Harley Bassett told CNN affiliate WMTW.
The outage is being blamed on a nor'easter that blew wet snow onto trees and power lines, the station reported.
More than a dozen cities saw a foot or more of snowfall, while Hartford and Lewiston each saw in excess of 15 inches, WMTW reported.
Though the National Weather Service canceled a winter storm warning at 7 a.m., a gale warning -- issued when winds are expected to reach 39 to 50 mph -- remained in effect until late morning.
Temperatures were supposed to creep above freezing in Portland, in the south of the state, Thursday morning.
In Caribou, on the northern end of Maine, the mercury is predicted to stay between 6 and 28 degrees until Sunday, when things are expected to warm up ('warm' being relative, as forecasts predict a high of 38).
Power companies reminded residents to keep fuels for emergency heating sources away from flames, ensure generators are properly grounded, refrain from using generators, grills or camp stoves indoor,s and keep fridges and freezers closed as much as possible.
Posted by Unknown on Thursday, November 27, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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