YORK COUNTY — Ready or not, the first winter storm of the season is going to make for some challenging conditions from one end of York County to the other on Friday.

The National Weather Service in Gray has issued a Winter Storm Warning for all of York County as a coastal low moves rapidly northeast Friday, bringing heavy snow to the area.

The Winter Storm Warning will remain through 1 p.m. Friday and could result in the accumulation of 5 to 8 inches of snow which will diminish visibility for motorists and create hazardous travel conditions throughout the county.

The Weather Channel’s Senior Meteorologist Stu Ostro said that Avery will definitely have a resounding impact on Maine this early in November.

“Winter Storm Avery has kicked into high gear as it moves from the central states to the Northeast. Avery is bringing all forms of precipitation — snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain — with widespread impacts on travel,” Ostro said. “This is quite early in the season for such a wintry mess in this part of the country, coming a week before Thanksgiving, which itself is early this year.”

Ostro said that the storm will evolve into a Nor’easter along the coast with strong wind gusts and some minor coastal flooding can be expected near the time of high tide.

“Fortunately the storm will quickly exit tomorrow, with much better weather for holiday travelers this weekend,“ he said.

For Biddeford and Saco, snow is forecasted to be heavy at times overnight and into Friday morning with a possibility of 4 to 8 inches and winds gusting to 30 mph. On Friday, new snow and sleet could result in another 2 to 4 inches.

In Sanford, the low temperature will be around 25 degrees, and heavy snow of between 4 and 8 inches is possible before dawn Friday. Ice and sleet accumulation overnight could pose a problem for morning travel in the city, NWS officials said.

In the Kennebunk area, forecasters say total nighttime snow accumulation Thursday into Friday could be 3 to 7 inches.

The good news is the storm will move quickly through York County and a gradual warming trend is expected for the start of the upcoming weekend, forecasters say, however temperatures will still average near or below normal.

A break between weather systems will occur for much of the day Saturday prior to the passage of yet another Arctic frontal approach later early next week.

The high temperature Saturday will reach 44 degrees with sunny skies and Sunday also is going to be sunny with a high temperature of 36 expected.