ST. LOUIS • A gentle but steady snowstorm slowed the evening commute Monday and forced cancellations of public business.

Earlier in the day, two motorists died in crashes on slick roads. But area police agencies said the snow that fell during the evening rush hour caused few serious injuries on the roads, leading only to steady reports of minor slide-offs, spinouts and fender-benders.

If the overnight snowfall met the forecast of nearly 4 inches, it was the biggest storm of the season — an indicator of the generally mild winter. Until Monday, total snowfall this winter season was 4.5 inches, and 1.9 inches of that fell on Dec. 27.

That's an accumulated dusting compared to last winter's 36.8 inches as measured at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, the sixth-most on record in St. Louis. The wintertime average here is about 18.6 inches, including the occasional big storm in April.

Monday's snowfall passed through central Missouri at midday, leaving 3 or more inches, including 4.5 inches in Jefferson City. Steady snow reached the western suburbs of St. Louis by midafternoon. Some school districts, including Parkway and Rockwood, dismissed classes early or canceled after-hours activities. Public bodies, including the St. Louis County Planning Commission, canceled regular evening meetings.

The main line of snow ran roughly along Interstate 70 and south to Farmington, Mo., and eastward to Salem and Vandalia, Ill. The storm was forecast to end early today as freezing drizzle, but with little or no accumulated ice.

Flurries began falling in the St. Louis area Monday morning. Police agencies reported two traffic fatalities:

• Amanda J. Moon, 44, of Clarksville, Mo., was killed in a two-vehicle crash about 8 a.m. on Missouri Highway 79 in Lincoln County just north of Westhoff Road. The patrol said a Ford Explorer crossed the center line on the snowy road and collided with Moon's Mazda M3. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

• Dennis M. Cochran, 57, of Vincennes, Ind., was killed in a crash at 7:35 a.m. in St. Charles County. The highway patrol said a car merging into the westbound lanes of Interstate 64 at Lake Saint Louis Boulevard collided with Cochran's 2012 Volvo truck, which struck a guard rail and bridge pillar. Cochran was pronounced dead at the scene.

By midevening, the Missouri Highway Patrol said it had received reports of "hundreds" of minor crashes, most involving no injuries. With traffic slogging through the snow at slow speeds, there were only scattered reports of collisions where motorists were hurt or vehicles suffered major damage.

Motorists also reported problems in the area of Interstate 70 and Highway 370, especially on a hilly section, but conditions appeared to improve as the evening rush came to a close, the highway patrol said.

Illinois State Police also said they handled "many, many" calls for vehicles in ditches, spinouts and other minor crashes. At one point during the evening rush, 50 calls to the dispatch center were backed up. But as of 8 p.m., state police also had not reported any serious injury accidents

Other police agencies across the region also reported handling a high volume of minor crashes, but none involving serious injuries.

Metro reported that several buses on both sides of the river were running behind schedule because of Monday evening's wintry weather. Most delays were under 10 minutes, although one route was 50 minutes late.

Today's forecast calls for a little sunshine and a high around 40.

Rain, possibly a thunderstorm, is likely Wednesday. Through the week, highs are forecast in the upper 40s, with lows around 30.

Patrick M. O'Connell of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.