Early forecasts show Richmond right in the crosshairs of a major snow event this weekend, potentially the largest locally since 2018.

"Confidence continues to increase on an expansive major winter storm impacting much of the southern and eastern portions of the country," the National Weather Service wrote on Tuesday morning.

In Richmond, snow would likely begin late Saturday night and fall through Sunday.

NWS forecasters emphasize that it remains early and things could change between now and then.

Cold temperatures a good thing

Extreme cold temperatures will accompany this storm, which is actually a good thing for Richmonders.

If temperatures remain below freezing, the precipitation will come down as snow and not sleet, which would be good for trees and power lines.

However, those low temperatures also mean any snow won't disappear for days after it falls, which could create issues for schools early next week.

Meteorologist Andrew Freiden, with 12 On Your Side, wrote Tuesday that "6-12 inches of snow is a good preliminary number to plan for."

In 2018, Richmond received 11.5 inches of snow in early December after early forecasts called for significantly less, leading to widespread power outages.

That storm was the 12th biggest of all-time in Richmond, and will be the mark to beat this weekend.

At the Weather Channel, meteorologist Jim Cantore said it's too early to know exactly where the storm will land, but sounded an early note of caution.

"This has the potential to disrupt life as we know it for many areas for several days during and after the event," he wrote.

Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org.