The latest local news, weather and high school sports in and around Columbia and Jefferson City

Most people in Missouri may end up having a white Christmas this year. It’s thanks to a storm system heading toward the Midwest for Christmas Eve.

Earlier this week, it looked as if this storm was going to bring more freezing rain, similar to last week's black ice, but as of now it looks like snow will be the main outcome of this storm.

The storm system that is coming our way now looks to be pushing further south. This is allowing colder air to enter Missouri.

Temperatures will be running just above the freezing mark during the day for the rest of this week, with nighttime lows in the 20s. This will keep our ground temperatures very close to 32 degrees. Our air temperatures should be at or below freezing as well. This will greatly reduce chances for freezing rain, which causes those terribly slick road conditions, in Mid-Missouri.

Late Thursday into early Friday looks to be the best time frame to see any wintry mix or freezing rain, with the best chances being for southern Missouri.

Colder air will filter in Friday. With that, a complete changeover to snow is expected.

As of now, snowfall totals across the entire state look to be around 2-4 inches.  The snow should taper off Friday night, with flurries possible for Christmas day.

While the overall forecast is looking better, travel issues may be a concern from late Thursday through Friday evening.

The KRCG Weather Team will be monitoring this system closely and updating the forecast for the holiday weekend as necessary.