Area under a Winter Storm Warning from Wednesday at 6 p.m. until Thursday at 6 p.m.

PADUCAH, Ky. — An already saturated southeast Missouri is bracing for potential flooding, thunderstorms and winter precipitation this week while being put under a Winter Storm Warning, in effect from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 6 p.m. Thursday.

The area is expected to see moderate to heavy mixed precipitation, mainly freezing rain and some sleet with ice accumulations one quarter of an inch or more, with some minor accumulations of sleet.

Scattered power outages and some tree damage are likely due to the ice and travel could be hazardous, impacting the morning or evening commute.

Two rounds of wintry precipitation are expected. The first will be Wednesday night across all of the area. The second will be from midday Thursday on through the afternoon, mainly across the Ozark Foothills of southeast Missouri and into southwest Illinois.

The initial rainfall began Monday night in the Sikeston area and continued into Tuesday, bringing with it strong winds and potential flash flooding.

The National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, forecasts another round of heavy rain mainly Wednesday evening through Thursday evening.

According to the NWS, the potential exists for an accumulation of wintry precipitation Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening. The areas of greatest concern will be north and west of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

“While some accumulations are expected, there is uncertainty in precipitation type amounts,” according to the NWS hazardous weather outlook.

Currently for the Sikeston area, a chance of rain and sleet is possible Wednesday between noon and 1 p.m. and then a chance of rain after 1 p.m. with a high near 39. The chance of precipitation is 50%.

Rain, possibly with mixed freezing rain and sleet, is expected Wednesday night, becoming all freezing rain after 2 a.m. A low around 31 is expected with the chance of precipitation at 90%.

On Thursday, freezing rain is likely before 10 a.m. then rain with a high near 37. The chance of precipitation is 100%.

Thursday night, the NWS is predicting rain, snow, freezing rain and sleet before 2 a.m. with a chance of snow and freezing rain between 2-3 a.m., with snow after 3 a.m. The low is projected at 27 with a chance of precipitation at 80%.