A winter weather advisory is in effect in Massachusetts today as several inches of snow is expected to fall across the state, according to the National Weather Service's Boston office. Snow is already beginning in western Massachusetts as of 8 a.m. Thursday, and it will pick up in the eastern part of the state later this morning.

An approaching system could bring up to 5 inches of snow and ice, and disrupt morning and afternoon travel before a flip to rain in some places.

Snow arrives between 6 and 10 a.m. Thursday and will fall for most of the morning. Given cold temperatures, National Weather Service forecasters say flakes could accumulate quickly with moderate to heavy snowfall expected.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Thursday in Massachusetts. See how much snow is expected

Snow will likely arrive between 8 and 10 a.m., persisting into the afternoon before ice mixes in. A flip to mixed precipitation will follow in some areas, including pockets of rain and freezing drizzle, ending between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Much of the state could see up to 4 inches of snow.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory at 2:02 p.m. on Sunday valid from 7 p.m. until Monday 7 a.m. for Northern Worcester and Southern Worcester as well as Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties.

Snow is expected to stop in Worcester and the western part of the state before 9 a.m., gradually moving out of eastern Massachusetts by noon. Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex counties in the northeast part of the state may see snow showers through 5 p.m. on Sunday.

A winter storm was sweeping across a large portion of the US on Thursday, bringing snow, ice and rain to several states in the Midwest and Northeast.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Thursday in Massachusetts. See how much snow is expected

BOSTON - Now that Thursday's snow is over, there's an excellent chance of plowable snow falling this weekend in Boston and most of Massachusetts. It could be the biggest snow storm of the season so far.

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