Don’t put your winter coats away just yet. There is a winter storm watch from 4 p.m. Tuesday to 3:30 a.m. Wednesday for DeKalb County and its surrounding areas.

NIU Staff Meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste said a potential storm exists for up to 6 inches of snow to fall across Illinois tonight. The storm front will come from Colorado and make its way across central and southern Illinois.

“We might see freezing drizzle Friday,” he said. “Next week could get more unsettling.”

Coincidently, Governor Rod Blagojevich has declared this week as Severe Weather Preparedness Week. To help people get ready for the potential severe weather, the National Weather Service is issuing a tornado test at 10 a.m. today. Although it isn’t tornado season, once March gets under way, tornados occur more frequently, Sebenste said.

“University departments have the opportunity to conduct their own tornado drills if they want to,” he said. “Many departments across campus have their own emergency weather radios.”

If people don’t participate in the drill, Sebenste recommends that they visit his Web site at http://weather.admin.niu.edu, where they can find information on where to go in case of a tornado.