Winter storm predicted Christmas night

A major winter storm may be taking shape to hit us with possibly more than 6 inches of snow Christmas night into Wednesday morning. The National Weather service has issued the following winter storm watch:

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH

WEDNESDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM

WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY

MORNING.

* SNOWFALL AMOUNTS: CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE AXIS OF

HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL BE OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN

ILLINOIS. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE

WITHIN THIS AXIS OF HEAVY SNOW. ANY CHANGE IN THE FORECAST TRACK

OF THE LOW WOULD CAUSE THE HEAVY SNOW AREA TO SHIFT...SO

CONTINUE TO MONITOR UPDATED FORECASTS.

* TIMING: SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN EARLY ON CHRISTMAS

NIGHT...POSSIBLY STARTING AS RAIN CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON. HEAVY

SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR MOST OF THE NIGHT. THE SNOW

WILL END EARLY WEDNESDAY...BUT STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE.

* MAIN IMPACT: INTENSE SNOWFALL RATES AND STRONG WINDS MAY CAUSE

VERY DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS. VISIBILITY WILL BE LOWER THAN

ONE HALF MILE...WITH LOCAL WHITEOUT CONDITIONS POSSIBLE.

* OTHER IMPACTS: BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW COULD POTENTIALLY MAKE

TRAVEL IMPOSSIBLE. WINDS WILL GUST OVER 30 MPH AT TIMES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT

SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT WOULD GREATLY IMPACT

TRAVEL. STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS. THIS WATCH WILL BE

UPGRADED TO A WARNING IF WINTER STORM CONDITIONS BECOME MORE

CERTAIN.