UPDATE: Winter advisory issued

Drivers in southern Idaho are urged to exercise caution as a winter storm continued to blanket southern Idaho Wednesday morning.

Multiple slideoffs and rollovers were reported on the interstate between Mountain Home and Glenns Ferry that morning.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm advisory this week that calls for heavy snow in Oregon and Idaho as Thanksgiving travelers hit the highways.

A winter storm watch remains in effect from through the morning of Thursday, Nov. 26.

A cold storm from the Gulf of Alaska was moving south through Oregon as of press time and was expected to move east across northern Nevada with snow expected to spread across southeast Oregon. Another area of snow was expected to develop in northeast Nevada as of press time and spread north into Idaho by today, Nov. 25.

The weather service expects this snow band will likely expand across southern Idaho and stall, resulting in heavy snowfall south of the Snake River into the western Magic Valley. The forecast called for less snow north of the Snake River.

In Oregon, the southern parts of Harney and Malheur counties were expected to get four to seven inches of snow with up to 15 inches expected on Steens Mountain.

In Idaho, the weather service expected four to eight inches of snow in the western Magic Valley and southwest highlands with up to 12 inches in the Owyhee Mountains and southern Twin Falls County. One to three inches was expected to fall in the upper Treasure Valley but less than an inch was expected in the lower valley.

A winter storm watch means there's a potential for significant snow accumulations that may impact holiday travel. For safe travel preparations, the weather service recommends that all travelers pack a winter weather travel kit and keep it in their car. Vehicles should also have appropriate tires or chains to deal with the expected road conditions.

Travelers are also urged to monitor the latest weather forecasts for changes in road conditions.