Out like a lion: New England is getting snow at end of March

March is not going out like a lamb in parts of New England.

A major snowstorm that arrives Friday evening in Maine and New Hampshire will bring snow through much of April Fools’ Day, which is Saturday.

The National Weather Service says some places, including higher terrain between Nashua and Keene in New Hampshire, could see 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 centimeters) of snow. In Maine, the heaviest snowfall is expected to be in the interior sections of York County, which could see 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters).

There’s also going to be heavy snow in parts of Massachusetts and Vermont. Light snow was falling by midmorning Friday in parts of the region.

In New Hampshire, Perry Plummer, director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said the state Emergency Operations Center was opening at noon Friday to monitor the storm and provide assistance.

A number of schools were dismissed early or canceled after-school activities. A march for voting rights scheduled for Saturday in Concord was rescheduled for Sunday.

April snow is not unusual in northern New England. The record for Maine was 15 inches (38 centimeters) on April 10, 1906. Fourteen inches (36 centimeters) fell on April 6, 1982.