WSIL -- A tricky forecast Wednesday and Thursday as a significant winter storm is likely.

If you need to run errands ahead of the winter weather, today will be the best day to get that done with very mild temperatures in the upper 50s and lower 60s. Rain will begin to move in this evening, mainly after sunset.

There's two big pushes of precipitation with this system. The first arrives Wednesday morning and will be all rain in our region with temperatures remaining above freezing most of the day.
By Wednesday evening, temperatures will begin to slip below freezing across parts of southern Illinois and southeast Missouri and light freezing rain is possible. Minor travel problems are possible Wednesday evening.
The second push of precipitation will arrive early Thursday morning. This is when we expect the heaviest amounts of winter weather.

Freezing rain is likely near the Ohio River and southward into western Kentucky. Meanwhile, more sleet will mix farther north across much of southern Illinois and southeast Missouri.

By noon on Thursday, sleet may even begin to change to snow, especially north of Route 13 in southern Illinois. Some areas along I-64 could pick up 3-6" of snow.
