SIERRA VISTA — The National Weather Service has put a winter storm warning in effect today, saying there is a chance of snow as low as 3,000 feet.

The winter storm warning was issued just after 5 p.m. on Thursday, a day that saw strong, gusty winds throughout the southwestern portion of Cochise County.

The weather service says storm total snowfall today is expected to range from up to an inch between 3,000 and 4,000 feet, to 2 to 4 inches between 4,000 and 5,000 feet and 4 to 7 inches between 5,000 and 7,000 feet. Above 7,000 feet, 7 inches to a foot of snow is forecast.

Sierra Vista is at about 4,600 feet,  Bisbee is at about 5,300 feet, whil e Douglas is at about 3,800 feet..

The winter storm warning means that “significant amounts of snow, sleet and ice” are expected. Strong winds also could occur.

The winter storm is expected to move out of the area on Saturday, with sunny days forecast on Sunday and Monday. Temperatures today are expected to be highs in the 40s and lows in the low 30s.

Cochise County and the southeastern portion of Arizona saw those strong winds through the day on Thursday. A wind advisory was in effect until 8 p.m. on Thursday.

The weather service said sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph, with gusts to 55 mph, had been recorded.

At Libby Army Airfield on Fort Huachuca, which has a monitoring station used by the National Weather Service, a gust of 55 mph was recorded at 1:55 p.m., with a sustained wind speed of 43 mph at that time. The strong winds ranged from gusts of 20 to 50 mph on Thursday. At 7:55 p.m., a gust of 41 mph was recorded with a wind speed of 29 mph.

The Bisbee Douglas International Airport near Douglas, which also is a weather service monitoring station, had a high gust of 39 mph at 1:56 p.m. on Thursday. At that time, sustained wind speed was 23 mph.