A fast-moving winter storm dropped about 5 inches of snow on southern Maine Thursday, causing crashes and cancellations throughout the region.

Heavy snowfall and slick driving conditions contributed to more than 60 crashes on the Maine Turnpike and interstate, the Maine State Police said Thursday night. Despite the high volume of crashes, no serious injuries had been reported by 8 p.m.

Snow began falling in the Portland area by late morning, creating messy driving conditions, and picked up in intensity throughout the afternoon before petering out in the evening. National Weather Service forecasts had called for 3 to 6 inches of snow, possibly with an icy glaze on top.

The weather service issued a winter weather advisory for portions of central, southwest and western Maine until 11 p.m. Thursday.

Heavy and blowing snow made for slow going on the Maine Turnpike in Saco Thursday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald

The Portland International Jetport had recorded 3.1 inches of snow by 1 p.m., with 4.3 inches reported closer to Portland’s Deering neighborhood by around 4:50 p.m., said Jon Palmer, a meteorologist at the service’s office in Gray.

“We had a few reports of 5 inches or so in New Hampshire, but other than that the forecast is on track and generally, the snow reports that we’ve been getting have been in line,” Palmer said on a phone call around 5 p.m.

Much of Cumberland County saw 4-5 inches by the time the snowfall started to wind down, the weather service said at around 6:10 p.m. By then, Saco and Oxford had each charted 4.8 inches of snow — the most reported in Maine.

TURNPIKE CRASHES

There were multiple crashes Thursday afternoon on the Maine Turnpike, where speed limits were reduced to 45 mph.

The turnpike was shut down on the northbound side at mile marker 59 in Gray for a short time because of multiple crashes, state police said. One of those crashes involved five passenger vehicles and two tractor-trailers, leaving two operators with minor injuries and four vehicles in need of a tow, the agency said.

A crash in Cumberland also temporarily blocked lanes. Minor injuries were reported following a two-vehicle crash near Exit 7 in York and troopers responded to slide-offs throughout the day.

“If you don’t absolutely need to travel this afternoon, please stay home and allow crews to clear the roads,” state police said in a social media post at 1:45 p.m.

The steadiest snow fell throughout the afternoon and into the early evening, with rates of up to 1 inch per hour.

Declan Gilfillan, 9, of Westbrook takes aim at his younger brothers with a snowball at Riverside Golf Course in Portland on Thursday. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

Snow transitioned to a wintry mix in some areas with a period of freezing drizzle late Thursday afternoon and into the evening. That could create an icy crust on the new snowpack, Palmer said.

“Early today if you took a shovel full of snow, it would feel generally pretty light, because it’s a lot of really dry snow,” Palmer said. “Now if you took that same shovel full tomorrow morning, when some of that sleet and freezing rain is in there, it’s going to be a lot heavier.”

State offices closed at 1 p.m. in anticipation of a messy afternoon commute.

“I encourage all Maine people to exercise caution and stay safe during the Thursday afternoon commute – and as always, give plenty of space to plow trucks and first responders working to clear the roads and keep us safe,” Gov. Janet Mills said in a written statement announcing the closures.

The timing of the storm prompted some school districts to announce students would be released early, then they later adjusted to call for a snow day.

School districts across southern Maine, including in Portland, also announced closures, as did courthouses, libraries and municipal offices. Portland City Hall closed at 11 a.m.

Lobster boats tied to their buoys in the icy Nonesuch River during the storm Thursday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald

GARAGE FIRE NOT A FACTOR

Maine Turnpike Authority officials said snow removal operations will continue as normal despite a garage fire on Sunday that destroyed half of the Auburn maintenance facility’s plow truck fleet. Four plow trucks, a traffic control truck, several other vehicles and equipment stored in the Auburn maintenance facility were destroyed by the blaze, which is being investigated by the Fire Marshal’s Office.

After the fire, the turnpike authority moved spare plows to Auburn.

“Our crews are resilient and dedicated to keeping the road safe for travelers. It’s been a hectic week, but we are ready for whatever Mother Nature throws our way,” maintenance foreman Nicole Chase said in a prepared statement.

Finn Gilfillan, 6, of Westbrook, chases his sled at Riverside Golf Course in Portland on Thursday. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

Parking bans will be in effect until Friday morning in Auburn, Biddeford, Cape Elizabeth, Freeport, Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough and Westbrook.

Portland announced a citywide parking ban would begin at 10 p.m. Thursday. Cars parked in most designated city lots must be moved by 7 a.m. This year, parking during snow bans will not be allowed at Hadlock Field because of ongoing construction.

Mills said the Maine Emergency Management Agency is closely coordinating with the Maine Department of Transportation, Maine’s electric utilities, and local emergency management partners to monitor the storm and keep people safe.

The plows will stay busy as another storm is expected to bring additional snowfall to southern Maine overnight Saturday into Sunday, Palmer said.

While Thursday’s storm brought “a solid, broad brush” of snow across much of the state, the heaviest snow this weekend will fall over Portland and points south, he said. Portland could see 6-8 inches of snow, but that figure drops to 5 inches in Lewiston and 2-5 inches in the Kennebec Valley, he said.

“It’s really going to be more of a population-corridor snow,” Palmer said.

Staff Writer Daniel Kool contributed to this report.