A winter weather advisory is in effect in Massachusetts today as several inches of snow is expected to fall across the state, according to the National Weather Service's Boston office. Snow is already beginning in western Massachusetts as of 8 a.m. Thursday, and it will pick up in the eastern part of the state later this morning.

An approaching system could bring up to 5 inches of snow and ice, and disrupt morning and afternoon travel before a flip to rain in some places.

Snow arrives between 6 and 10 a.m. Thursday and will fall for most of the morning. Given cold temperatures, National Weather Service forecasters say flakes could accumulate quickly with moderate to heavy snowfall expected.

Snow is expected to stop in Worcester and the western part of the state before 9 a.m., gradually moving out of eastern Massachusetts by noon. Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex counties in the northeast part of the state may see snow showers through 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory at 2:02 p.m. on Sunday valid from 7 p.m. until Monday 7 a.m. for Northern Worcester and Southern Worcester as well as Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties.

On Wednesday at 2:48 p.m. the NWS Medford OR issued a winter weather advisory valid from Thursday 4 p.m. until Friday 10 a.m. The advisory is for Central Siskiyou County and Northeast Siskiyou and Northwest Modoc counties as well as Modoc County.

More than half the country was under winter weather-related warnings from the National Weather Service (NWS) Wednesday morning, with forecasters anticipating up to 22 inches of snow in some areas. Snow can disrupt travel and create dangerous driving conditions,