A wintry mess is expected to descend on Eastern Idaho through Friday and possibly into Saturday.

The winter storm began to pummel the region on Wednesday with rain, snow, hail and thunderstorms.

The storm was expected to drop up to 8 inches of the white stuff on Eastern and Central Idaho's mountains by Thursday morning. The mountain snow is expected to continue falling through at least Friday, with several more inches of snow possible in the higher elevations.

Lower elevations such as Pocatello, Blackfoot, Preston, Idaho Falls and American Falls will see rain and possibly an inch of snow through Friday.

The precipitation region-wide could continue into Saturday.

Motorists throughout Eastern and Central Idaho should use caution because of the possibility of snow-covered roads and reduced visibility.

The snowstorm impacting Eastern and Central Idaho is also expected to dump snow on parts of Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Montana.

Stay tuned to idahostatejournal.com for the latest weather forecast updates.