Thousands of people in California are under a winter storm watch on Monday as National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists across the central part of the state warned of up to 2 feet of snow to fall beginning late Wednesday night.

NWS meteorologist Stephen McCoy told Newsweek that the NWS will likely upgrade the watch to a winter storm warning by Tuesday evening.

"We put out the watch to make sure people are aware that the ingredients are there for it to become a fairly significant winter storm," McCoy said, adding that mountain road closures are possible once the snow begins to fall.

Why It Matters

Winter storm watches have been issued for large portions of California's mountain regions as forecasters warn of potentially hazardous travel and significant snowfall. These alerts come

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