LEWISTON – As promised, a mid-March snow storm began moving across the region late Friday afternoon and was expected to grind into the start of the weekend.

The storm hit coastal areas before 4 p.m. By 5 p.m., snow began to fall on the Twin Cities area.

It was a dry, light precipitation that blew across the roads, rather than slicking them. There were no reported crashes in the area during the afternoon commute.

By nightfall, it was snowing steadily across the western part of the state but most major roads remained clear.

By 9 p.m., about 4 inches of snow had fallen in the Portland area. At the same time, only an inch had fallen in the Twin Cities and surrounding towns.

To some, the storm was underwhelming after days of media hype.

“This is Maine,” said Lewiston police Sgt. Jeff Parshall. “This is normal Maine weather.”

Weather experts warned that it isn’t over until it’s over.

“The storm is still well off to the south of us,” said Jim Mansfield, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Gray, which said a winter storm warning would remain in effect until noon today.

The weather service was calling for 6 to 12 inches of snow before it turns to rain and sleet this morning or early afternoon. Wind gusts are also expected as the storm marches into the weekend.

Mansfield said flooding had not yet been a problem. He expected the situation might become more serious Sunday, mostly in coastal cities where drains might back up. He also said ice would likely become a problem in the northern part of the state.

Mansfield said he was told car crashes had been a problem in New Hampshire, where the storm hit earlier, during the evening commute. In Maine, most commuters were home by the time the snow intensified. Several cars reportedly had slid off the Maine Turnpike, but sheriff’s departments reported few problems, aside from a handful of accidents.

By the time the storm started bearing down, most people were off the roads, and accidents were few in the area.

“Nothing yet, knock on wood,” said Auburn police Officer Bernice Mowatt, about 8 p.m.

Later, at 8:45 p.m. on Crowley Road at the Sabattus-Lewiston line, a car slid into a utility pole. Nobody was hurt, but wires fell from a pole, knocking out power to a handful of customers on the Lewiston side.

The driver and a pair of passengers waited inside the vehicle until Central Maine Power crews came to ensure that they could safely get out. Police blocked a small stretch of the road while CMP crews made repairs.

Police were counting on the storm to drag into the weekend. In Lewiston and Auburn, parking on public streets has been banned until midnight Sunday.

Even before the first flake had fallen, Central Maine Power Co. announced it was prepared to tackle power outages.

“The forecast calls for heavy snow that could coat wires and limbs, along with moderate ice accumulation,” said CMP spokesman John Carroll. “This could cause more problems than the last two storms, when the snow was lighter and the wind kept it from accumulating on power lines and trees.

“We’re keeping a close eye on the forecast, and our trucks and crews are set to go,” Carroll said. “But we want our customers to know that this heavy, wet snow and ice could cause outages and we want them to be prepared.”

With many Mainers preparing for spring, CMP officials fear people might forget the common sense rules of riding out a storm. Keep battery-operated flashlights handy along with drinking water and nonperishable food, they say. Never use grills or camp stoves indoors and be sure to ventilate properly when using a wood stove or fireplace.

More common sense from CMP: don’t run a generator indoors, make sure portable generators are properly grounded, don’t store fuel indoors and do not try to refuel a generator while it’s running.

If that’s not enough to worry about, Carroll was also reminding people that power lines knocked down by snow or ice are not safe to touch – ever.

“Everyone should stay clear of any downed power lines and fallen trees or limbs that may be tangled in the lines,” he said. “These should all be considered live and dangerous. Customers should leave the cleanup to our crews, who are trained and equipped to handle these situations safely.”

According to Mansfield, at the National Weather Service, nobody should be completely dazzled by a snowstorm at this time of the year.

“That’s March for you,” he said.