WATERVILLE -- This winter is the 15th snowiest in the 126 years worth of National Weather Service archives, but today's weather conditions may set the record for the most miserable.

The Weather Service issued a winter storm warning to be in effect all day, predicting between eight and 10 inches of snow expected to fall before 8 p.m.

Three to five inches will have accumulated by morning. But that's just the beginning, meteorologist Steve Capriola said.

"This is going to be a major impact storm, because it's going to be snow, followed by rain, and ice and freezing rain," he said, adding a caution to drivers as temperatures fell late on Tuesday.

Precipitation should stop as the evening continues, but roads conditions will get progressively worse as it gets colder, he said.

"Temperatures will drop back down in the 20s Wednesday night, so any water, slush, whatever, will freeze up," Capriola said.

The legislative session and all public hearings scheduled for today have been postponed, according to the House Speaker's Office.

For information on other cancellations, go to www.onlinesentinel.com.

In the mountains today, forecasters expect between eight and 12 inches of snow accumulation.

As of Monday evening, the state had already received a little over 71 inches of snowfall this winter.

On average, the state only receives about 43 inches by this time.

Between October and January the state received nearly 58 inches, the most seen since the winter of 1995 to 1996, Capriola said. That year, 76 inches fell.

Eighty-seven inches was the most snow on record to fall during those months. That was the winter of 1922-1923.

On Wednesday, weather conditions will range from a little frosty on the coast to snowy in the mountains to the freezing, sloppy mess preparing to bring central Maine to a standstill.

"It's going to be quite a range," Capriola said. "Quite a variation, depending on your location."

Joel Elliott -- 861-9252

jelliott@centralmaine.com