Between 8 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow could fall in the upper elevations of Randolph and Pocahontas counties Friday, the National Weather Service announced Thursday.

“Heavy wet snow will arrive early Friday morning in the mountains, lasting throughout the day and into the evening,” the NWS said in a bulletin posted Thursday morning. “Total snow accumulations of 8 to 12 inches will be possible, primarily for the higher elevations. Poor travel conditions could arise, especially during the morning and evening commute, and strong winds may cause power outages.”

The winter weather message covers northwest Pocahontas and southeast Randolph counties, including the Snowshoe and Harman areas.

Warmer temperatures mean lower areas like Upshur County will primarily see rain on Friday, according to the current forecast.

Snow is possible before 9 a.m., when the precipitation should become mostly rain as the temperature rises to a high of 41 degrees. As night falls, Upshur County could see some additional light snow, with less than an inch of accumulation currently forecast.

Saturday is predicted to see mostly sunny skies but remain chilly, with a high temperature of 43 degrees. From there, things should warm up considerably, pushing into the low 60s Sunday through Wednesday.

If the forecast changes closer to Friday, we’ll be sure to update this post with the latest information.