(MSC News)--With freezing rain expected on Thanksgiving, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch effective for the holiday for portions of the local area. 

Included in the watch are the local Kansas Counties of Brown, Marshall, Nemaha, Jefferson and Jackson. 

Local Nebraska Counties include Pawnee, Richardson, Nemaha, and Otoe. 

Below is the weather alert issued by the Weather Service: 

 ..WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORMWATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING...FREEZING RAIN IS CURRENTLY FORECAST TO BEGIN IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MAINLY ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF CLAY CENTER. A WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA, EXTENDING ROUGHLY TO MANHATTAN BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND EXTENDING TOWARD EMPORIA TO TOPEKA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO FRIDAY MORNING. THIS WINTRY MIX MAY CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY AND COULD EVEN EXTEND INTO SATURDAY.

* ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO A QUARTER INCH, PRIMARILY NORTH AND WEST OF A HIAWATHA TO EMPORIA LINE WITH LESSER AMOUNTS TO THE SOUTHEAST. LITTLE TO NO SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE ANTICIPATED.

* OTHER IMPACTS...ACCUMULATION OF ICE ON ROADWAYS COULD MAKE FOR SLICK TRAVEL OVER THE HOLIDAY...REMEMBER THAT BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES OFTEN BECOME SLICK BEFORE MAIN ROADWAYS. ICE MAY ALSO ACCUMULATE ON POWER LINES AND COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.