The first major winter storm of the season brought mostly sleet and rain to the region on Wednesday, leading to scattered reports of problems on state roadways during the busiest travel holiday of the year.

Snow fell as promised, but the largest amounts were reserved for the northwest portion of the state. Parts of eastern Connecticut saw sleet in the morning that turned to rain by mid-afternoon. The National Weather Service predicted only trace amounts of snow in New London and Middlesex counties but as much as two inches of sleet and rain.

Gene Arters, the emergency management director in Norwich, said the city's public works crews were geared up for the worst since early forecasts had called for several inches of snow. As it turns out, he said, Norwich and surrounding towns received all rain.

"We're just shy of 5 inches of rain from where we should be for this time of the year," Arters said. "The rivers are down. Any rainfall we receive is a blessing. The rain we don't have to shovel. I call this a good storm."

Forecasters called for the possibility of a brief turnover from rain into snow in the overnight hours as the temperatures dip.

The precipitation fell even as state police conducted increased enforcement on the state's roadways, an initiative that will run through Thanksgiving.

A 3 p.m. update from state police showed they had responded to 267 accidents, including 36 with injuries and a fatality in Norwalk. It is unclear how many of the accidents were weather related.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy ordered nonessential state employees and second-shift workers to stay home Wednesday. State offices, including courthouses, closed at 12:30 p.m.

AAA estimates that more than 2 million people from Connecticut and the five other New England states are traveling for Thanksgiving. They reported a busy day on Wednesday with AAA's Roadside Rescue Team responding to 1,033 calls for emergency service in Greater Hartford and eastern Connecticut as of 9 p.m.

Call volume was particularly heavy during the afternoon hours, AAA spokesman Aaron Kupec said in a statement. Common calls involved vehicles off the road, lockouts, flat tires and requests for towing.

g.smith@theday.com

Twitter:@SmittyDay