GRAY – A winter storm watch has been posted by the National Weather Service office here.

The NWS advised Wednesday evening that a “major snowstorm” was possible. It’s expected to hit the region tonight and continue through Friday.

Snowfall accumulations of 6 inches or more are forecast for the western/central Maine regions, with up to 10 inches possible by late Friday night in some areas.

The service said snow could change over to sleet and rain in coastal areas, which would lessen snowfall amounts.

“Snow is expected to develop across the region Thursday night as moisture streams northward” ahead of a front associated with low pressure over the Great Lakes, the NWS reported in the storm watch advisory posted on the agency’s Web site.

“A secondary low will develop off the mid-Atlantic Coast Friday, then move northeast through the Gulf of Maine Friday night. The combination of storm systems will bring the threat of heavy snow to the entire region.”

The NWS’s Caribou office said the storm could continue into Saturday in northern Maine, with accumulations of up to 7 inches possible there.