The second snowstorm of the year swept into the South Coast Tuesday afternoon and didn’t stop until Wednesday, leaving behind 8.5 inches of powdery flakes.

The storm cleared by Wednesday afternoon, but the low temperatures are expected to linger.

During the storm, the National Weather Service reported winds blowing between 11 and 21 miles per hour with the possibility of gusts as high as 46 miles per hour on Tuesday night

Wednesday night  the wind chill reached -5 at times. According to the weather service, freezing temperatures and a below zero wind chill index will persist through Friday.

As of 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning, road crews worked to clear wind-swept streets where much the snow plowed off the roads had drifted back, causing for hazardous driving.

Rochester police reported a handful of accidents.

Tuesday afternoon police said a three-car accident occurred at Cushman Road and New Bedford Road around 3:30 p.m. A motorist slid through an intersection after failing to stop due to slippery road conditions.

To avoid a collision, another driver swerved off the road and struck a street sign. A third motorist struck the front end of the first vehicle.

Police said there were no injuries.

A second accident occurred on Mary’s Pond Road at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday when a vehicle slid off the road. Police the there was no damage to the car. No injuries were reported.

Despite the high winds there was no significant power outages. The electric company NStar reported a handful of power outages on Cape Cod, which received the brunt of the storm. Tri-town schools were closed on Wednesday, as were many most municipal departments.