A fast-moving band of snow dumped about an inch of snow on Portland and across southern Maine on Friday night, snarling traffic and reducing speeds on the Maine Turnpike to 45 mph from Kittery to Falmouth.

The snow was expected to stop by midevening in Portland. Total accumulations of an inch or 2 were expected in most areas. The combination of cold temperatures and fresh snow made driving difficult. Police dispatchers across the region reported numerous slide-offs and minor accidents.

“The combination of traffic and snow on the road has allowed it to become very slippery,” said John Jensenius, a meterologist with the National Weather Service in Gray. “I’m not surprised there quite a few accidents out there. It’s a perfect combination at just the right time.”

Saturday will be cold and windy. High temperatures will be in the midteens in Portland and along the coast, and single digits in the mountains, with wind gusts out of the northwest. “It’s somewhat a repeat of what we saw last weekend,” Jensenius said, “with wind chills on the order of 5- to 10-below zero for most of the day.”