The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory at 2:55 a.m. on Saturday valid from 1 p.m. until Sunday 7 p.m. for Essex, Norfolk, Middlesex and Suffolk counties.

An approaching system could bring up to 5 inches of snow and ice, and disrupt morning and afternoon travel before a flip to rain in some places.

A winter weather advisory is in effect in Massachusetts today as several inches of snow is expected to fall across the state, according to the National Weather Service's Boston office. Snow is already beginning in western Massachusetts as of 8 a.m. Thursday, and it will pick up in the eastern part of the state later this morning.