Whitewashed

The storm packed all the ingredients of a fall New England northeaster: strong winds, high tides, and plenty of rain. But it threw a surprise, too, a wet dollop of snow that added to the misery of those caught out in it.

At the New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough yesterday afternoon, Dean Costa of Dennis and his son were caught off guard by the wintry weather.

“I thought it was going to be cold, and I was preparing for it, but no way I thought it was going to be this cold,’’ Costa said. “When we left the Cape, it was in the 50s. . . . I went into the bathroom at halftime to warm up.’’

His son, Dean Jr., who wore a light-blue Tennessee Titans jersey over a white hoody, was more outspoken in his distaste for the frigid conditions. “It’s terrible. I’m freezing out here.’’

Nearby, Amy Scolardi was a little more fortified for the weather. She was wrapped in three layers of Pats gear, with a clear poncho over the ensemble, and her face was covered by a Patriots hat and neck warmer.

“This is awesome. It’s not often you get to experience a snow game, let alone in October,’’ said Scolardi, of North Providence, R.I. “It’s just a New England thing. You can never have this in a dome.’’

The stormy weather neither stopped the Patriots, who stomped over the winless Titans, nor overwhelmed Massachusetts motorists or fishermen. The State Police and US Coast Guard said there were no reports of serious injuries or major road closings.

“We really have not had any search-and-rescue cases over the past couple of days. People are really paying attention to the weather warnings,’’ said Lieutenant Kate Higgins, a spokeswoman for the US Coast Guard in Boston.

Kim Buttrick, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said an estimated 1 to 2 inches of rain fell on Boston and surrounding areas yesterday. Temperatures stayed in the mid-40s yesterday and winds were as high as 40 miles per hour, and some snow and sleet were reported in higher-terrain areas. Some areas south of Boston may see light rain continue into this afternoon, when the storm system is expected to slowly pull away.

Buttrick said there is a new moon cycle, which caused especially high tides on the coast.

High tide was just before noon on the North Shore yesterday, and homeowners in vulnerable coastal areas again braced for the worst.

“It is torture. Every storm that comes up, you must worry if it is the one that will break through the sandbags and take someone’s home,’’ said Audrey Keller, a member of the Board of Selectmen in Newbury, where serious erosion is threatening to pitch more than 20 homes on Plum Island into the ocean.

“With the high tides and the new moon and the nor’easter, the sandbagging we put in took a beating,’’ Keller said. “We can’t take another winter like this.’’

Although the weather did not overwhelm roadways, it did force motorists to remember how to behave in wintry conditions.

“Generally speaking, it’s your typical minor crashes and spinouts, and we’ve had a good number of those, but nothing serious, which is fortunate,’’ said State Trooper Eric Benson. “The first time the road ices each season, it seems there’s a learning curve, that people need to again acquaint themselves with winter driving.’’

Despite the storm, all races at the Head of the Charles Regatta went forward as planned. The weather, however, was challenging for rowers, according to Jim Connelly, a spokesman for the event.

“From the racing standpoint, when the wind comes out of the north, it is a pretty strong headwind for the longest portion of the course,’’ he said. “It is snowing pretty hard out here. I have been here 11 years and I have never seen weather like this.’’

Globe correspondents Brandon Hall and Emma Stickgold contributed to this report.