Snow was expected to give way to a mixture of sleet and rain and then mainly rain late Saturday, with temperatures climbing above freezing, according to a meteorologist with AccuWeather.com, a global forecaster.

Groton-New London Airport reported the temperature was 23 degrees shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday, Tyler Roys said. The temperature was expected to rise into the mid-30s after midnight and surpass 35 degrees by dawn, he said.

One to 3 inches of snow was expected before the precipitation turned to sleet and rain.

State police at Troop E in Montville responded to numerous minor traffic incidents Saturday night, while most municipal departments reported receiving few calls. "People are behaving. Maybe they got the message (about the bad weather)," one dispatcher said.

"The main part of the storm will be out of the area by dawn — 7 or 8 a.m.," Roys said. "Then it will get windy. It will be pretty gusty in the Groton-New London area."

Winds will range from 15 to 25 mph today, and the temperature will gradually fall to the low 20s by tonight, he said.

Today's rain, which Roys said could be heavy at times, should wash away most of the snow. What's left will be wet and heavy, making it difficult to shovel, he said.

"People are going to wake up to a slushy mess (this morning)." Roys said.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com