Light snow could cover Lincoln County by Thursday morning asanother cold front brings winter weather to the area thisweek.

Brad Bryant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service inJackson, said a mix of winter precipitation would begin moving intothe county Wednesday afternoon or Wednesday evening and could droprain and snow during the night. Temperatures will drop into the low20s during the storm, but the bad weather should clear out byThursday morning without leaving the kind of ice accumulation thecounty saw last week.

“There may be a little bit of sleet mixed in during this event, butmost indications are it’s going to be rain or snow,” Bryant said.”But we’ve got lows down in the lower 20s, so there could be someissues on the roads.”

Bryant said the winter precipitation could start as rain and switchto snow during the night.

Such a change leaves the possibility for ice to form underneath thesnow, and melting snow could freeze on bridges, said Lincoln CountyCivil Defense Director Clifford Galey.

“Everyone needs to be aware and cautious,” he said. “You can safelydrive on 3 or 4 inches of snow, but you can’t safely drive onone-eighth of an inch of ice.”

Galey said his office would remain in contact with NWS as Wednesdayapproaches. No decision on canceling school or releasing studentsearly has been made.

A daylong storm of sleet and freezing rain left roads and bridgesiced and dangerous last Thursday. The conditions led to 42accidents in which two motorists were killed and 15 injured, mostlyon Interstate 55.