Winter storm watch issued for swath of Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for parts of central and southern Indiana ahead of a weekend storm that could drop up to 7 inches of snow.

The watch that's in effect from Friday night through Sunday morning covers 25 Indiana counties and includes the cities of Indianapolis, Bloomington, Columbus, Terre Haute and Vincennes, as well as numerous other communities.

Forecasters say a winter storm system moving in from the southwestern U.S. could potentially drop 4 to 7 inches of snow in the watch area, with locally higher amounts possible.

The weather service says the storm is expected to create hazardous travel conditions.

Forecasters say snowfall amounts may change with any deviations in the strength and path of the storm system.