A winter storm watch is usually issued when a storm system is one to two days from starting. This long lead time is used to help you get ready if you have to make travel or work changes. Eventually as the storm gets closer, the winter storm watch either turns to a winter storm warning or a winter weather advisory.

New Jersey is bracing for two rounds of snow and ice starting Tuesday afternoon. The first storm could bring 4 to 8 inches of snow to southern counties. The second storm starting Wednesday afternoon will include a few inches of snow for northern New Jersey and a dangerous coating of ice. National Weather Service

The NWS Reno NV issued a winter storm warning at 1:03 p.m. on Tuesday valid from Wednesday 10 p.m. until Friday 10 p.m. for Lake Tahoe.

Around 2:30 p.m., some snow was showing up on weather radar in the Garden State, but a dry layer of air in the lower atmosphere was causing the snow to evaporate before reaching the ground. That’s a phenomenon known as virga. Shortly before 4 p.m., light snow was reported in parts of Cape May County, including Wildwood and Cape May.

A procession of winter storms is forecast to bring snow, sleet, ice and potentially flood-inducing rain to sprawling bands of the U.S. this week.

Two major winter storms are expected to hit the Midwest this week, with moderate to heavy snowfall in the Chicago area. Between the two storms, residents could see close to a foot of snow from Wednesday through Saturday.

Multiple winter weather-related alerts are in place across parts of New York, as well as further south in the Mid-Atlantic region.

After a snowy weekend, three more storms are set to slam the Plains and Northeast with snow throughout this week. The next storm will hit Tuesday and Wednesday.