Winter storm watch for Thursday, Friday

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky ahead of an arctic cold front, and forecast freezing rain, sleet and snow for the area Thursday and Friday.

The watch advisory, issued Tuesday afternoon, advised the storm's main effect will be accumulating ice, sleet and snow, which could make for dangerous road conditions and cause some power outages, especially if an area receives freezing rain. The watch is in effect from 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 p.m. Friday. The National Weather Service upgrades advisories to warnings when weather conditions become more certain.

As of Tuesday afternoon, forecasts for Cape Girardeau called for a 90 percent chance of a wintry mix Thursday night and a 90 percent chance of snow and sleet Friday. Temperatures will range from 43 degrees Thursday to 28 degrees Friday. The storm is expected to begin with rain Thursday and change to freezing rain, then sleet, then snow as the temperatures fall Thursday night.

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, MO