The snow has arrived and schools are closing down early ahead of the weekend.

Austin and parts of southern Minnesota could be in store for nearly a foot of snow as a winter storm makes its way east across the central Plains.

Lyle, LeRoy-Ostrander and Southland schools closed at 1 p.m. Friday. Austin Public Schools canceled all after school activities, including the Christmas at Home concerts at the Paramount Theatre. The concerts were expected to be rescheduled.

The National Weather Service says central Minnesota could get half a foot of snow from the system.

In Austin,  a winter storm warning was in effect, as a system was expected to move in late this morning. The system was expected to bring anywhere from 4 to 10 inches in Mower County.

Winds gusting up to 30 mph will blow the snow around and make travel hazardous into the weekend. Some crashes were being reported Friday along Interstate 94. Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety was urging motorists to heed warnings about dangerous travel conditions.

Forecasters say arctic air also will create dangerous conditions, with wind chills plummeting to as low as minus 30 degrees. That can cause frostbite to exposed skin in as little as 15 minutes.

The Austin Daily Herald contributed to this report.