So this is spring.

On the first day of the season, incumbent winter went out not so much with a whimper but with … well, more winter.

Snowfall was low, with just an inch reported in Turner and Portland and two inches in Gray as of 8 p.m., National Weather Service meteorologist John Cannon said from the observation station in Gray. More would have accumulated, Cannon said, but “the ground was already warm” causing most of it to melt. The result was a mix of icy slush and water on roadways around the region — “real mashed potatoes,” he said.

The storm gained strength around 9 p.m. and light snow showers continued throughout the night, said weather service meteorologist Stacie Hanes.

The road conditions led to a spate of mostly minor accidents in the region Monday evening. A car slid off slushy Route 117 in Otisfield early Monday evening, injuring Kelly Laplante, 33, of Harrison, Oxford County Sheriff’s Department Cpl. Brian Landis said. Laplante suffered back and neck injuries and was taken to a Norway hospital, he said. Her 2-year-old daughter, strapped in a safety seat, was not hurt.

Two Auburn drivers slid off Hotel Road within a mile of each other, also at around 5:30 p.m. A blue Chevrolet Blazer driven by Ann Lockhart came to a stop in a snowbank on the edge of the road, while Irene Berube’s vehicle ended up in a thicket off the shoulder across from Crest Avenue. A tow truck was called to pull the vehicles out. There were no injuries, Auburn police Patrolman James Phillips said.

In Woodstock, extremely slushy road conditions caused Daniel Trenoweth to lose control of his vehicle, which slammed into a guardrail, Oxford County Sheriff’s Office Deputy William Nelson said. “That road is extremely slippery right now,” Nelson said. With more than an inch of slush, “it’s probably the slipperiest road in Oxford County,” he said.

“There was more damage to the guardrail than to his car,” Nelson said.

The early forecasts for heavy snow in the afternoon led many municipalities to cancel evening classes, events, and meetings, and schools in several areas to close. SAD 44 in Bethel, SAD 17 in Norway-Paris-Oxford and RSU 10 in Rumford-Dixfield-Buckfield sent students home early.

Cannon said he doesn’t expect much snow in the near future. A storm moving in on Wednesday and Thursday should be a mere “glancing blow,” he said, with most of the white stuff falling in southern New England.

While there may not be much more snow on the forecast, it’s not time to hang up winter coats and scarves just yet, Cannon said. “It’s looking cold for quite a few days out, below normal temperatures,” he said.