West River should be on notice for a winter weather system moving through the area Wednesday.

Rapid City National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Calderon said while not unseasonable, it’ll be a noticeable shift.

“Precip is going to affect mostly the Black Hills to southwest South Dakota," Calderon said. "Generally, two to four inches, but there could be some areas where they see higher amounts than that. Out towards south central South Dakota, that’s where we’re really unsure. They could see one to four inches, or it may end up being dry, which is where the latest model trends are running.”

While most, except for Terry Peak skiers, will scoff at the idea of a winter storm after an unseasonably warm week, it’s moisture the area needs. NWS hydrologist Melissa Smith said the state needs water.

“We definitely need the upcoming moisture," Smith said. "Right now, we have between moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions covering most of southern South Dakota. This upcoming winter storm system is at least going to help bring a little bit of moisture, but it’s really not going to do anything for the current drought conditions we’re seeing.”

Current drought models show the Sioux Falls metro area as among the driest. Further west, Gregory, Tripp, Custer, Oglala Lakota, Pennington and Fall River Counties are also in drought status.