The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for this weekend.

Here's what the NWS Duluth office posted at 2:33 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 26:

...Strong Winter Storm Expected This Weekend...

.A strong area of low pressure will lift northeast from the

central Plains on Saturday, before slowly meandering across the

upper Midwest Sunday into Monday. This feature will bring a

prolonged period of wintry precipitation to the Northland, with

a wintry mix of snow and freezing rain expected across a large

portion of the area. Heavy accumulating snows will be possible

from the North Shore west into the Brainerd Lakes and Borderland

areas both Saturday and Sunday, with snow likely continuing

through the early morning hours on Monday.

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH

LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...

* WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow

accumulations of 5 to 10 inches and ice accumulations of up to

one tenth of an inch possible. Heavier snow accumulations of 6

to 12 inches will be possible from the Brainerd Lakes area north

through the central Borderland. Winds could gust as high as 40

mph.

* WHERE...Portions of east central, north central and northeast

Minnesota.

* WHEN...From Saturday morning through early Monday morning.

* IMPACTS...Travel will likely become very difficult across much

of Minnesota this weekend.

For more information from the National Weather Service visit

http://weather.gov/Duluth