This week is West Virginia Winter Weather Awareness Week, and Mother Nature is set to provide a lesson.

After an unseasonably warm start to the week, a cold front is set to race across the region Wednesday night, bringing frigid temperatures, ice and snow.

“Snow, or a mix of rain and snow, should occur in and near the mountains Wednesday night through the weekend. Accumulations are possible,” according to the National Weather Service office in Charleston. “Winds are also expected to become strong Wednesday night into the weekend, with potential for gusts to exceed 40 mph in the higher terrain at times.”

The powerful winter weather system is poised to bring the first significant snowfall of the season to West Virginia’s highlands, with some mountain communities expected to see up to a foot of snow by Saturday morning.

The change begins Wednesday as a cold front sweeps through the Mountain State, causing temperatures to plummet during the afternoon hours. Strong wind gusts will make it feel like the 20s by Thursday morning.

In Upshur County, high temperatures through Sunday are expected to hover near 40 degrees, while the low should be around 30.

The highest snowfall totals are expected across the higher elevations of Pocahontas, Randolph and Webster counties, where areas above 3,000 feet could receive approximately 12 inches of snow over a 48-hour period starting Thursday. Lower elevations can expect a slushy coating, mainly on grassy and elevated surfaces, and some secondary roads may become slick.

“Highest snowfall totals through Saturday morning are expected to be across the higher elevations of Pocahontas, Randolph and Webster counties, with around a foot of snow expected in those locations over the course of about 48 hours,” according to the NWS. “The lowlands can generally expect a slushy coating to perhaps an inch.”

The winter weather is expected to continue into Saturday before gradually winding down Sunday as drier air moves into the region. A warming trend will begin by late Sunday, with milder temperatures returning for the start of the workweek.