(NECN: Marnie MacLean, Brunswick, Maine) - The warning to drivers was pretty clear -- slow down, or you could end up like this truck...and this car.
"Everyone started locking brakes up..waiting for a wrecker to get them out," says Chris Crippin.
Not the way those drivers wanted to start their day, but for most Mainers this is feeling familiar -- snow falling, schools closed, and plows working.
So, while most of us are used to the snow, the Arctic cold coming on the heels of this storm is something new, which is why Maine's governor signed an emergency proclamation to make this man's job easier.
Clark Labbe delivers oil, and the government has strict rules that govern how much time he can spend on the road. But, with temperatures expected to drop well below zero in the next few days, the governor wanted to temporarily waive those limits.
"It is critical for our industry this time of year to be sure we can get to folks," says John Peters of Downeast Oil.
Furnaces will be working overtime as the cold snap arrives and even jets fans living in New England need their oil.
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"Seems like a real Maine winter..snow coming early and now the cold is coming like it hasn't in a couple of years...hurt our budget a little bit," says Stu Palmer.
But more painful than writing a big check would be an empty oil tank and a cold house.
"I think a lot of people are living day to day and running their oil tanks day to day and when they call and say the tank is empty they need it," says Labbe.
Clearly, when the dogs are whining to get out of the cold, and even the ducks are looking for an invitation inside, the Arctic air is coming, and whether it's filling the oil tank or stoking the fire, Mainers are getting ready to settle in and stay warm.
