While not much snow fell in the metro area Tuesday, a larger dumping is still on track to come Thursday.

Of course, large is relative and this year the bar is low.

A paltry 0.8 inches of snow that fell on Nov. 20 stands as the Twin Cities metro area's biggest single snowfall of the season, but not for long. A system moving into the state Thursday will bring 4 to 7 inches of snow, a prediction uptick from earlier, across central Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

"Ho ho ho, the biggest snow of the season is flying its sleigh our way," the Weather Service said in a Wednesday afternoon post on X.

The National Weather Service warned Thursday's morning commute would be hazardous with "accumulating snow, gusty winds, and reduced visibility."

Earlier, the National Weather Service noted the metro was in line to get 2 to 5 inches, with higher amounts on the north and east sides.

A winter storm warning was issued for the Twin Cities as well as west-central Minnesota, including Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes and Moorhead. A separate watch was issued earlier along the Lake Superior shoreline from Duluth to the Canadian border was also in effect, with the area in line to get 4 to 8 inches, the Weather Service said.

"Hazardous travel conditions may develop as a result of the accumulating snow, particularly for the Thursday morning commute, during which the steadiest snow may fall," the Weather Service said in an advisory.

Thursday's snowfall could increase the odds of a white Christmas, which is defined as having 1 inch of snow or more covering the ground on the morning of Dec. 25, the Minnesota Climatology Office said. That is not a guarantee.

After a cool weekend with high temperatures in the metro in the teens Friday and Saturday and in the mid-20s Sunday, "a big warm-up is in store for the last week of December," the Weather Service said.

Average temperatures for Christmas week in the Twin Cities bring highs in the mid-20s and lows in low teens. The Climate Prediction Center predicts a 50% to 70% chance of above-normal temperatures across Minnesota from Sunday through Dec. 26.