A chilly mix of precipitation is headed to the Lawrence area, starting with rain late tonight that will change over to light snow by Wednesday morning.

“It is our first bout with winter-like weather in terms of snowfall,” said Jennifer Schack, 6News meteorologist.

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This morning’s conditions were misty and damp, with some drizzle and fog, Schack said. The temperature at 8:30 a.m. was 48, which was expected to be the high for the day, she said.

“It’s kind of a dreary-looking morning,” she said. Temperatures are expected to drop off this afternoon to 40, then continue to fall overnight to a low of 31 by early Wednesday morning.

“It’s going to be just cold enough to support some light snow,” she said.

Rain was expected to start about midnight, changing over to a rain-snow mix about 3 a.m. Wednesday and turning over to light snow by 6 a.m. Wednesday, Schack said. The best chance for snow in Lawrence is about 9 a.m. Wednesday, she said. The snow was expected to end by noon, she said.

While Lawrence is expected to get only a light dusting of snow, some areas of southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri will get between 1 and 5 inches of snow, with the most around the Ozarks region, she said. A winter storm watch has been issued in the Springfield, Mo., area.

“It will be a wet, slushy snow,” she said. “We are on the very edge of it.”

Wednesday will also be windy, with 15-20 mph northwesterly winds, gusting to 30 mph. Wednesday’s afternoon high will reach 40. Skies will become partly sunny in the afternoon.

Thursday’s morning low will be 23, with the high reaching 45 under partly cloudy skies, she said.