Snow is still expected to fall on parts of northern Alabama on Tuesday — and it could come earlier than had been expected.

The National Weather Service said Monday that a cold front and the cold air behind it could move into north Alabama earlier on Tuesday, which could also mean an earlier changeover from rain to snow.

Forecasters at the weather service office in Huntsville said the changeover to snow could now come as early as 4 p.m. on Tuesday in northwestern Alabama.

The weather service issued a significant weather advisory on Monday evening for Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall, Jackson, DeKalb and Cullman counties in north Alabama.

Forecasters said that numerous showers before and after the front will begin changing over to a wintry mix beginning late Tuesday afternoon in northwest Alabama.

The precipitation will begin as rain and then will transition to a mix of light freezing rain, sleet and snow.

Light ice accumulations will be possible on elevated and grassy surfaces, the weather service said.

Accumulations could range from a trace for most locations to up to an inch along the border with Tennessee.

“Although widespread accumulations or travel problems are not anticipated, use caution when traveling on elevated roadways, bridges, overpasses during Tuesday afternoon and evening,” the weather service said.

The wintry mix will spread southeastward through the rest of the day, however, most of the rest of the state won’t get a chance to see snowflakes.

Forecasters said that ground temperatures will keep snow accumulations “lower than they could be.”

They added that forecast confidence on accumulations isn’t high enough at this point to issued a winter weather advisory, but that could change down the road.

Some flurries could linger through the overnight hours on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, the weather service said.

The weather service in Birmingham said a “very brief” transition from rain to snow will be possible for north-central Alabama late Tuesday as colder air makes it into the region, but as of Monday evening no accumulations are expected.