Residents in parts of northern New England awoke Sunday to the first substantial snowfall of the season.

Thanks to a cold front, rain turned into snow Saturday evening over a large swath that stretched from middle Vermont across New Hampshire and into western Maine, according to the National Weather Service.

Parts of Vermont saw 4 inches of snow and there were several reports of snowfall in the 3-inch range in New Hampshire, said meteorologist Margaret Curtis.

New Hampshire’s Mount Washington recorded 5 inches of snowfall over a 24-hour period.

The arrival of colder weather means it’s time for New Englanders to get leaves raked and complete yardwork before the ground freezes, Curtis said.

“It’s that time of the year,” she said.