Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Huntsville said the high today could reach 70 degrees, but temperatures will begin to drop in the late afternoon and fall to 25 by midnight.

Forecaster Matt Anderson said rain will begin about 6 tonight and turn to snow after midnight. The greatest accumulation of snow will occur by 6 a.m. Saturday, but snow will continue until about 10 a.m., he said.

Kurt Weber of the weather service said motorists need to be cautious of black ice on the road and limit their travel.

“We could have some ice from rainfall that’s already fallen and freezing underneath the snow on the roads, so it could be a pretty treacherous Saturday morning,” Weber said. “Temperatures will drop to lower to mid 20s, and highs will probably not get much higher than freezing.”

Weber said that gusty winds are also expected after midnight today at speeds of 15 to 20 miles an hour “and gusting 30 to 35 (mph) at times and into the early morning hours on Saturday.”

Weber said motorists need to have an emergency kit in their car in case they get stranded.

“They need to make sure they also have flashlights, blankets and snack foods in their vehicles, but the best thing would be not to drive at all,” Weber said.

Weber said anybody needing to buy groceries should do it before midnight Friday so they will not have to take any risks driving on Saturday.

Anderson said it is common for the north Alabama area to get freezing temperatures in early March, but it is rare to have snow accumulation this month.

“From our (weather) records in Huntsville which date back to 1894, there’s only been 27 times in March where we’ve had measurable snowfall,” Anderson said.