The first snow of the season is on the way for portions of the central U.S. on Oct. 26, forecasters said.
"A storm producing ongoing drenching rain, flash flooding and severe weather in the Rockies will end on a colder note over the northern part of the Plains with the first snowfall of the season upcoming for some areas," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski in an online forecast.
Specifically, the first snow is likely in the Dakotas, eastern Wyoming, and western Nebraska, according to the National Weather Service. Snow will also fly in the Cascades of Washington and the northern Rockies.
'Several inches of snow'
"There is the potential for several inches of snow to fall over the Black Hills of South Dakota," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Bob Smerbeck
said in an online forecast. "A slushy accumulation can occur in Rapid City, South Dakota, especially on non-paved surfaces on Monday [Oct. 26], when it is most likely to snow the hardest."
There is an off chance a few elevated surfaces could get icy for rural areas, the weather service said.
Snowy morning in North Dakota
On the morning of Oct. 26, the weather service in Bismarck, North Dakota, was reporting snow in the state:
"Light snow is present in parts of the southwest [North Dakota] and has resulted in light accumulations over grassy surfaces in some areas."
For Oct. 26, "expect the light snow over southwest North Dakota to continue to work northward. Some guidance suggests that the activity may lift as far north as the Watford City area and possibly Williston. Any snow will be very light, especially north of the I-94 corridor," the weather service said.
Nebraska snow could reduce visibility
The weather service in Nebraska said that by late morning, snow will mix with rain for the western Sandhills into the Panhandle, continuing into the early afternoon. "Brief moderate intensity could lead to localized visibility restrictions but little to no accumulation is expected."
Cascades, Rockies snow
Elsewhere, in the northwestern U.S., some snow is also likely in the highest elevations of the Cascades and northern Rockies over the next couple of days, theweather service said.
The weather service in Great Falls, Montana, warned that "light snow starts tonight [Oct. 26], with a few inches of snow accumulations, mostly in the mountains of southwest Montana and along the Continental Divide. Be alert for snow covered roadways at higher elevations."
Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter is coming: First snowstorm of the season expected in central US
