TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The season's first major snowstorm has been barreling toward Kansas with the threat of blizzard conditions for most western counties.

The Colby and Oakley school districts canceled Wednesday classes as forecasters posted blizzard warnings Tuesday for northwestern and west-central Kansas.

In Goodland, the National Weather Service predicted just 1 to 3 inches of snow from Interstate 70 south with slightly higher amounts near the Nebraska border. But forecasters warned that winds gusting to 50 mph from midday through the evening would make travel difficult to impossible.

Snow is expected to spread through central, east-central and northeastern Kansas throughout the day, reaching Topeka and Lawrence late Wednesday before ending early Thursday.