East Idaho is in the crosshairs of a powerful winter storm that could dump several inches of snow on the region’s highlands.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch and winter weather advisory for East Idaho regarding the storm that will arrive early Friday morning and continue through Sunday morning.

But the snow as well as possibly some rain from the storm could linger into Sunday afternoon and evening and maybe even Monday in East Idaho depending on the weather system’s severity.

The major impact of the storm is expected to be on East Idaho’s highlands, where the heavy snowfall and destructive 50 mph winds could make for very hazardous driving conditions, the weather service said.

The storm could dump up to 9 inches of snow on the Albion, Almo, Malta, Rockland, Arbon, Holbrook, Inkom, McCammon, Arimo, Downey, Lava Hot Springs, Malad, Preston, Thatcher, Emigration Summit, St. Charles, Montpelier, Georgetown, Paris, Grace, Soda Springs, Bancroft, Henry, Bone, Wayan, Swan Valley, Palisades, Victor, Ashton, Tetonia, Driggs and Island Park areas.

The lower elevations including Pocatello, Chubbuck, American Falls, Aberdeen, Blackfoot, Atomic City, Fort Hall, Shelley, Firth, Idaho Falls, Ammon, Rigby, Rexburg, Mud Lake, Idaho National Laboratory, Craters of the Moon, Burley, Rupert, Heyburn, Raft River, Declo and St. Anthony could see up to 3 inches of snow.

The higher mountains in East Idaho could receive as much as 28 inches of snow from the storm.

Elsewhere in the state, a winter storm watch is in effect in parts of the central Idaho mountains including Stanley, Ketchum and Sun Valley, winter weather advisories are in effect in south central and southwest Idaho including Boise and Mountain Home, and winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect in North Idaho because of the incoming storm.

Outside of Idaho, winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect in Oregon, Washington state, Nevada, Montana and Utah and winter storm watches are in effect in Wyoming.