Staff and wire reports

LEWISTON – Rain that soaked most of the state on Tuesday was turning to snow in western areas by Tuesday night.

Still, weather experts said there was little to get excited about, and few problems were expected for Thanksgiving holiday travel.

“It looks like we will see some snow. But it doesn’t look like a historical storm or anything,” said Kirk Apffel, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Gray. “It doesn’t look like a huge storm, but it could be the first measurable snow of the season.”

By Tuesday night, most parts of Maine had endured a day of rain. As much as 2 inches had fallen in some areas, Apffel said. In western Maine and parts of New Hampshire, the rain changed over to snow after the supper hour.

“You might see a few flakes tonight, but nothing for accumulation,” Apffel said. “It’s just not a real nice night out there.”

In Androscoggin County, a sheriff’s dispatcher said there had been no crashes or other problems as a result of the weather as of 7 p.m. It was the same in Franklin County. In Oxford County, a dispatcher said two or three cars slid off the roads as rain turned to sleet, but no major crashes were reported.

According to Apffel, the next few days should not cause big concerns for those people planning road trips for Thanksgiving. Today is expected to be clear although cool, with temperatures in the mid-30s. Snow is expected to start falling early Thursday.

“We’ve certainly seen a lot worse in Maine,” Apffel said.

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