In this file photo from March 28, 2009, a mother and child wait for the crosswalk sign outside the Lawrence Art Center as freezing rain falls and icicles form on the stoplights.

The National Weather Service says an ice storm is still poised to hit the Lawrence area, but residents are expected to get a bit of a reprieve on when it starts.

The midday forecast from the National Weather Service’s Topeka office calls for a 50 percent chance of freezing rain from 7 p.m. tonight to 3 a.m. Saturday morning. Previously, the Weather Service had predicted freezing rain may begin in the late afternoon as motorists were beginning the commute home.

The forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of freezing rain tonight, a 40 percent chance during the daytime hours Saturday, and a 70 percent chance Saturday evening. Sunday — when thousands of motorists are expected to be traveling to a home playoff game for the Kansas City Chiefs — is expected to be a particularly active weather day. The forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of freezing rain early on Sunday with it changing to a mix of rain and freezing rain later in the day.