HASTINGS, Neb. — The National Weather Service is encouraging Nebraskans to prepare for an incoming winter storm.

The NWS Hastings Office has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Adams, Harlan, Phelps, Kearney, Franklin, Webster, Clay and Nuckolls counties and  a Winter Weather Advisory for Dawson, Buffalo, Hall, Merrick and Hamilton counties. The warnings and advisories are in effect from noon on Wednesday through noon on Thursday, but forecasters say snow is likely to stop before sunrise.

The NWS says it’s confident that heavy snow will fall in south Central Nebraska south of Interstate 80 but says that snow totals will vary greatly along the I-80 corridor. Forecasters say Hastings is right on the edge of the heavier snow amounts, with areas to the south getting 6-9 inches and regions to the north receiving 1-5 inches. The storm is expected to drop most of its snow between 3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.

High winds are expected to gust in the 30-35 mph range in the evening and drop to 20 mph on Thursday morning. Forecasters warn that travel conditions will be extremely poor tonight through Thursday morning south of I-80 and especially bad south of Highway 6.