It was the very definition of “mixed bag” weather. 

Throughout the day Wednesday, the region saw a little bit of rain, a little bit of snow and quite a lot of sleet.

The result was a slippery morning commute and by midday, streets, sidewalks and driveways — not to mention tree limbs and power lines — were sheeted with ice. 

Cars slid off roads into trees and into each other in the early part of the day, but by late Wednesday afternoon, no serious injuries had been reported. Police said the fact that schools, some businesses and state offices had closed in anticipation of the storm may have helped keep the number of crashes down across the area. 

Ice took its toll on power lines too and power outages were reported all over the place. 

At 3 p.m., more than 2,000 homes and businesses in Androscoggin County were in the dark, more than half of those in Auburn. 

Another 2,500 power outages were reported in Kennebec County, while a handful of outages had vexed Oxford, Franklin and Cumberland counties. 

By 7 p.m., Central Maine Power crews had cut the outage numbers down to just a few hundred across the area.

Precipitation came to an end well before the supper hour, but the National Weather Service in Gray advised that dropping temperatures would leave untreated surfaces slick with ice. 

What to do after an afternoon of slipping and sliding? Prepare for icy winds, that’s what. 

“A windy, frigid day is on tap for Thursday with wind chill values well below zero for the mountains and north and single digits above zero south,” according to Mike Haggett of Pine Tree Weather. “Wind gusts in the 25-35 mph range are likely to tip over a few trash cans in urban areas and cause blowing and drifting snow over the north. Be sure to stay bundled up and use caution when driving.” 

The forecast called for smooth sailing on Christmas Eve while a light snow was possible on Christmas Day. 

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