Another week kicked off with a slippery commute and snow is expected to continue into the Monday evening commute.

Light snow began falling across coastal York and Cumberland counties early Monday and is expected to continue into tonight. Portland, Brunswick and other communities announced parking bans.

Temperatures are expected to reach a high of only 15 degrees in Portland, though Tuesday should be a more typical winter day with temperatures in Portland in the 20s, approaching 30 degrees, and possibly even with some sunshine, said Chris Legro of the National Weather Service of Gray. The next snowfall could be Thursday into Friday though the amount remains uncertain, he said.

Monday’s snow was very dense compared to some previous storms. Even though it was cold, which can result in light fluffy snow, this snow was forming in a layer of the atmosphere that was relatively dry and therefore it had the consistency of sand, leading to relatively small accumulations, Legro said. “It didn’t fall heavily but the snow itself is a heavier consistency than normal,” he said.

So far this year, through 1 p.m., Portland has received 72.9 inches of snow measured at the Portland International Jetport. Last year, through Feb. 8, the jetport received 53.3 inches, and in a normal year it receives 38 inches. Average for an entire winter is 61.9 inches.

Cumberland County and the midcoast region are under a winter weather advisory, but shouldn’t pick up as much snow as York County, southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Drivers should expect to see snow blowing and drifting during the day, according to Eric Schwibs of the National Weather Service in Gray.

“If you take it a little slow on the roads you should be just fine,” he said.

Ted Talbot, spokesman for the Maine Department of Transportation, said crews were able to keep the light snow clear from major thoroughfares.

“Unlike some of the previous storms, our plows are able to keep up with this one quite well,” Talbot said. “We don’t anticipate travel problems on the interstate or the major routes.”

Still, the weather did cause some problems.

A Maine State Police dispatcher reported several cars sliding off roads in the Portland area. In Gray, a fuel oil truck rolled, though nobody was hurt and no oil spilled.

The York County Sheriff’s Office responded to six vehicle crashes, none with injuries, through mid-afternoon.

Also related to the storm, on Sunday sheriff’s deputies responded to Johnson Road in Limerick where rescue workers treated a 50-year-old man who had fallen 10 feet off his roof to the ground. He was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland. There was no further information on his condition.

Also Sunday, a homeowner on Newcastle Road in Arundel reported smelling smoke inside his mobile home and called the fire department. Firefighters investigated and determined that a bale of hay used for insulation under the mobile home was smoldering because it came into contact with heat tape used to prevent pipes from freezing.

The home was determined to be uninhabitable and the American Red Cross in Maine was helping the resident find new housing, according to Sheriff William King.

Speeds on the Maine Turnpike were reduced to 45 mph from Kittery to Augusta. Two crashes on the turnpike in Saco and South Portland slowed traffic during the morning commute, but were cleared before 9 a.m.

Many schools and childcare centers across York and Cumberland counties closed or had delayed openings.

Ogunquit officials announced town hall and the transfer station would not open Monday because of the snow.

Several morning flights between the Portland jetport and airports in New York and New Jersey were canceled.

Portland officials urged residents to take other precautions:

• Take frequent breaks when shoveling and make sure someone else knows where you are.

• Keep walkways and entrances clear in case emergency responders need access to your home. Residents also are responsible for clearing sidewalks adjacent to their property.

• The city welcomes help in keeping its more than 2,000 fire hydrants clear of snow so they are easily accessed when there’s a fire.

Monday’s snow is the result of a front south of New England, with waves of low pressure running along it, delivering snow to New Hampshire and southern Maine, according to the National Weather Service in Gray.

Meanwhile, the weather service issued a gale warning for coastal waters, with winds of 34 to 47 mph and freezing spray.

This story will be updated.