The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the northern and central Oregon Cascades. Starting Friday morning at 4 a.m., heavy snow is expected to fall at elevations above 3,000 feet, with up to 12 inches possible through Saturday at 4 p.m.

The forecast doubled the amount of snow expected in the Columbia area, as up to 2 inches of the white stuff is now forecast to accumulate, according to the warning. Between 2-3 inches of snowfall is possible in the southern reaches of the Midlands, meteorologists said in the briefing. Localized amounts in other areas could be higher.