PIERRE — It’s going to be a white Christmas this year — and then some.

The National Weather Service in Aberdeen is predicting a significant winter storm dumping between four and eight inches of snow on Pierre from Wednesday through Friday.

"If you’re going to be trying to travel any time from Wednesday night through Friday, change your plans," said National Weather Service meteorologist Aaron Dorn.

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Dorn said snow falling today is expected to slow or stop on Tuesday.

"We’ll catch a brief break in the action Tuesday and Tuesday night," Dorn said. "While there’s a break in the action, the next main area of low pressure is going to reload, basically, along the West Coast and take aim on the central and northern plains for Wednesday through Friday."

Dorn said the entire country will be hit by bad weather throughout the week as the storm moves east. Sioux Falls and parts of Minnesota and Iowa may get even more snow than Pierre.

"By the middle part of this week, travel woes are going to be from Texas up to South Dakota and east," he said. "People trying to fly in an airplane to points in the South or the East Coast are going to run into that."

Mike Isaacs, manager of the Pierre Regional Airport, said winter weather is more likely to impact flights heading to Denver than flights heading to Minneapolis. That’s because Minneapolis-bound planes spend the night on the ground in Pierre while Denver-bound planes have to land here the same day they take off.

"Taking off is easy. It’s the landing part that’s hard," Isaacs said. "If there’s going to be a likely cancellation, the odds are it would be Denver-bound, because they have to land here from Huron. If the weather’s bad here typically they will overfly us and go on."

In additional to flight delays, roads are likely to be closed, Dorn said. People who wait until Wednesday or Thursday to travel will be taking a risk, he said.

"You may get a chance to make it in time to have Christmas with family, but you’re going to remember this Christmas," he said. "It’s the Christmas we had a major winter storm."

In Pierre, temperatures are expected to drop into the teens Wednesday with the arrival of snow. Winds will also pick up to 15 or 20 mph.

"It doesn’t look like we’re going to be dealing with wind chills egregiously low or anything like that," said Dorn. "It’s just going to be kind of raw."

Travelers can visit www.safetravelusa.com or call 511 for travel safety information, including road closures.

Winter traveling tips

PIERRE — With significant winter weather expected to hit this week while many people are traveling for the holidays, experts are urging drivers to take precautions.

Every car should have a winter survival kit with several key elements:

• An emergency thermal blanket

• Bottled water

• Cookies, crackers or other snacks that won’t freeze

• A flashlight with extra batteries

• Jumper cables

• A small shovel

• Sand or other abrasive material to put under stuck tires

If a motorist does get stuck, he or she should run the engine sporadically, as fuel permits, to conserve heat, AAA spokesman Mark Madeja said. Drivers should not leave the vehicle and should be sure to keep a fully charged cell phone with them.

Winter travelers, especially those taking rural roads, should make sure others know when they will be on the road, what route they will be taking and what time they expect to arrive, Madeja said.

“The purpose of the holidays is to enjoy time with friends and family — but it’s also to arrive and return alive,” Madeja said.