This is not a test.

If it was a test, the National Weather Service would not be making statements like this:

Consider it advance scouting on Old Man Winter's first ambush of the season.

The weather service's forecast discussion on Friday stated that since the expected snowfall is still at least a week out and "significant model differences" still exist on forecasts models, there's still "plenty of uncertainty with respect to placement and intensity of lake-effect snow."

So, the exact timing, location and forecast snow totals won't probably become clearer until early to the middle of next week.

"That said," weather service forecasters stated, "the upper air pattern supports the potential for a significant event."

"Stay tuned ..." forecasters advised.