BUCKHANNON — The afternoon commute Thursday could be challenging as a fast-moving winter storm expected to dump up to eight inches of snow barrels through Upshur County.

According to the Thursday morning update from the National Weather Service office in Charleston, snow is predicted to begin falling locally between 2 and 4 p.m.

“Snow will begin around noon in northeast Kentucky and then spread quickly northeastward across our region,” the NWS posted on social media. “The snow intensity will ramp up fast and temps will drop causing quickly deteriorating road conditions.”

A winter storm warning remains in effect through 8 a.m. Friday.

“Total snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are possible from noon Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday,” according to the warning. “Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.”

Expect bitterly cold temperatures through Saturday as well, with the low Thursday dropping to 15 degrees. Flurries could linger into Friday morning, with a forecast high of 23 degrees and a low of 9 Friday night. Seasonal weather returns over the weekend, with temperatures in the 40s.