A snowstorm will dump heavy snow on parts of northern South Korea over the next 24 hours and could impact the start of the Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.

Snow is expected to begin late Wednesday night and continue into Thursday night, causing travel disruptions leading up to the opening ceremonies.

Snowfall of 8-15 cm (3-6 inches) will fall around PyeongChang and in the lower elevations while the alpine centers could see as much as 30 cm (12 inches) of fresh snow.

“In addition to the snow, strong winds will cause blowing and drifting snowfall into the day on Friday,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty.

Anyone traveling to the area in advance of Friday’s opening ceremony will want to be prepared for lengthy travel delays and possible road closures.

Any lingering snowfall Friday morning will give way to dry weather for the opening ceremony set to take place Friday night.

Olympic Stadium in PyeongChang is an open arena that can seat up to 35,000 people. Paralympic organizers said they will use all resources available to clear the snowfall before the opening ceremony, according to Yonhap New Agency.

The largely dry weather from midday Friday into Friday evening will give workers much needed time to clear snowfall prior to the opening ceremony.

Organizers have also requested that the military provide around 600 soldiers to join the snow removal activity.

Tatyana Mcfadden of United States competes during the cross country women's 5km, sitting event at the 2014 Winter Paralympic, Sunday, March 16, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

Associated Press

High pressure building over the Korean Peninsula from Friday into early next week will promote largely dry weather for the opening days of competition.

While dry weather is expected for the start of competition on Saturday, there may still be some weather impacts.

“Breezy conditions are expected on Saturday for the alpine events along with the threat for blowing snow,” said Douty.

Detailed weather forecast for Gangneung Olympic Park

Detailed weather forecast for Jeongseon Alpine Centre

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“Winds are expected to lessen later in the day, making the afternoon more ideal for alpine events,” added Douty.

As the high shifts over Japan, milder air will be pulled northward into South Korea, which will bring above-normal temperatures from Sunday into next week.

In the longer range, this milder air is expected to hold across the area for most of next week; however, there will be a few chances for rainfall before the events wrap up next weekend.