RALEIGH — Triangle residents can be fairly sure unpleasant weather is coming, but just what that will be is literally up in the air, the National Weather Service said Monday.

“We have two systems — one on Monday that’s fairly minor,” meteorologist Shawna Cokley said Sunday. “We may get a quick shot of light snow in the afternoon, not enough to accumulate.”

Mostly south and east of the Triangle, but including Johnston County, there is a winter storm watch up from Tuesday afternoon through Thursday morning.

What may be coming for everyone is the infamous wintry mix – snow and/or freezing rain and/or sleet on Wednesday and Wednesday night.

The chance of precipitation then is 70 percent, and temperatures are expected to vacillate around 30 degrees.

At 11 a.m. Monday, the weather service said light snow had been reported at Greensboro and Asheville and flurries in Burlington.

The bright spot is that so far, the forecast does not anticipate any heavy snow, but it does not take much to mess up travel, as the Triangle just relearned.

“"It will bring plenty of clouds, cooler temperatures and a couple of showers of rain in the afternoon" on Monday, WTVD meteorologist Don Schwenneker said Monday morning.

"The temperature will peak near 40 degrees today, so any snowflakes that might fall late day will simply melt on the ground," Schwenneker said.

The whole system is based on yet another mass of cold air pushing in from the upper Midwest and moist air from Texas the Gulf of Mexico rolling northeast to mix it up with the cold, dry air.