Maine was buried in inches of snow Wednesday a day after a winter storm enveloped the state, resulting in the first major snowfall of the season. Some residents woke up to see nearly a foot of fresh snow outside their windows, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters say the snowfall, which began Tuesday morning and picked up through the evening, could be followed by record cold temperatures — potentially dipping below zero — later this week.

Meteorologist Zack Hargrove said temperatures are expected to drop Wednesday night as an arctic air mass moves toward Maine. Though he’s not a climatologist, he said, he suspects the polar vortex could be contributing to the icy blast.

Winds are expected to increase during the day Thursday, with high temperatures across the state likely to hover between 20 and 30 degrees.

On Thursday night, Hargrove said, the frigid air mass will stick around, bringing even lower lows.

Temperatures could fall into the single digits in Greater Portland and just below zero in the mountains, with wind chill driving feels-like temperatures well below zero in some areas, he said.

Record lows are possible Friday morning. Hargrove said the record low for this time of year is 7 degrees in Portland and 4 degrees in Augusta.

The blast of cold air is expected to arrive after hundreds of schools and public offices in Maine were closed Tuesday because of the snow. Many cities and towns issued snow parking bans.

Speeds on the Maine Turnpike were reduced to 45 mph. Maine State Police had responded to about 50 crashes on Interstate 95 by Tuesday evening, spokesperson Shannon Moss said.

Hargrove said the forecast office in Gray was still receiving reports of how much snow fell, but by Wednesday morning, many areas had accumulated 4 to 8 inches, with totals even higher in spots.

One of the largest reported totals, Hargrove said, was a foot of snow recorded near Anson in Somerset County. Mainers in higher elevations saw 8 to 12 inches of snowfall, he said.

Parts of Kennebec County, including Oakland and Augusta, recorded 8 inches of snow. The town of China got 9 inches, with 8.4 inches measured in Farmingdale and 8.1 in Gardiner.

In Cumberland County, the Portland International Jetport recorded 4.8 inches of snow, and areas north of Portland recorded 4 to 8 inches. The county’s highest totals included 7.7 inches in New Gloucester, 7.5 in Bridgton, 7.3 in Naples, and an even 7 in Cumberland and Pownal.

York County saw totals from less than 4 inches to more than 9, with 3.7 inches falling in Kennebunkport but 9.3 recorded in Ogunquit. Leading totals also included 8.4 inches in Baldwin and Cornish, 7.0 in South Berwick and 6.8 in Limerick.

Other high totals from across the region included 11.4 inches near the former Franklin County town of Madrid, 11 inches in the Oxford County town of Porter and 9 inches in Kingfield, near Sugarloaf Mountain.