Mixed precipitation -- snow and ice -- are likely to begin Saturday. We will see winter weather, but it's too early to be confident about the precise location and amounts.

Meteorologists are still watching a major winter storm that could hit the Albany area this weekend, but forecasts show it trending northward.

What’s next? Less chilly highs near 40 Wednesday and warming to near 50 Thursday. Turning frigid again this weekend with significant winter storm potential.

Big questions remain about the storm’s track, whether the storm will bring significant snowfall totals, or whether rain will mix in and keep snow accumulations low.

“This is shaping up to be the most impactful storm of the winter so far. Ice could bring down trees and power lines, potentially leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and heat for several days,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in a statement.

Forecasts might not agree on the details, but one thing seems likely: a winter storm is headed east this weekend.

Meteorologists say an expansive winter storm will sweep across the U.S. this week, bringing heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

“If current forecast model trends hold, and so far they have for the last 48 hours or so, this could become a dangerous winter event for the northern half of the state of Alabama,” the weather service in Birmingham said in its Tuesday forecast discussion.