BOSTON - Snow is coming to Boston and most of Massachusetts today. This "kitchen sink" winter storm will drop a few inches of snow, a layer of icy sleet pellets and freezing rain. The WBZ weather team is continuing our NEXT Weather Alert for Thursday.

Snow is expected to stop in Worcester and the western part of the state before 9 a.m., gradually moving out of eastern Massachusetts by noon. Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex counties in the northeast part of the state may see snow showers through 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Snow arrives between 6 and 10 a.m. Thursday and will fall for most of the morning. Given cold temperatures, National Weather Service forecasters say flakes could accumulate quickly with moderate to heavy snowfall expected.

Snow will likely arrive between 8 and 10 a.m., persisting into the afternoon before ice mixes in. A flip to mixed precipitation will follow in some areas, including pockets of rain and freezing drizzle, ending between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Much of the state could see up to 4 inches of snow.

According to the National Weather Service, Boston ended up with 1.4 inches of snow as of Monday morning. The total for the season in the city is now about 15.3 inches. Historically, Boston averages 14.4 inches of snow in February, the snowiest month of the year.

Thursday's snow totals could reach up to 4 inches, with the next storm this weekend likely to dump plowable snow across the state, according to forecasters.

Schools in Massachusetts started announcing closures on Wednesday ahead of a winter storm that’s expected to bring a messy mix of snow, ice, and rain to the region on Thursday.

With snow, sleet and freezing in the forecast overnight into Thursday morning, some North Jersey schools have announced delayed opening and snow days. A winter weather advisory will be in effect for North Jersey on Thursday from 4 a.