Winter storm watch issued for Southeast Missouri

The National Weather Service is warning of the possibility of significant ice and snow accumulations with a winter storm expected to hit the area possibly starting tonight.

The weather service's Paducah, Ky., office issued a winter storm watch Tuesday afternoon for Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, including Cape Girardeau and surrounding counties.

Beginning late Wednesday night an area of arctic high pressure will provide the cold air needed to make a wintry precipitation mix across the area, the weather service says.

The wintry mix could last into at least early Friday, and the weather service expects it to fall as a snow and sleet mix near the Missouri/Arkansas border early and turn primarily into a freezing rain and sleet combination throughout the area later Thursday, with more snow in northern sections. Accumulations of one-quarter inch or more of ice and two to four inches of snow are possible.

There's a 50 percent chance of precipitation tonight in Cape Girardeau, and a 90 percent chance Thursday.

High temperatures Wednesday and Thursday will be around 30 degrees in Cape Girardeau.

Click here to read the storm watch.