KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- A four letter word is all the talk at some Knoxville hardware stores: snow.

Volunteer TV's Senior Meteorologist Megan Campbell says a storm system expected to arrive later this week won't be a blizzard, but will bring measurable snowfall.

Jamie Webb says she's ready to battle a blast of winter.

"We've got milk and bread. I had everything we needed to go. I was ready except, except for the ice melt," Webb said.

You'll still find Ice Melter on Knoxville's hardware store shelves.

But managers at ACE Hardware of Bearden say they've seen steadily sales.

Some snow already fell around town Monday.

Campbell says expect snow by Thursday no matter where you live in East Tennessee.

But how much snow a storm system fresh from the Northwest United States promises to dump snow here is still, well, up in the air.

"It will have a significant amount of moisture in front of it. So we need to count on those accumulations and be thinking about snow and take the precautions you need to take," Campbell said.

Days of freezing temperatures mean the ground is now cold enough for the white stuff to stick.

Don't expect a warm up this week.

"Highs right near freezing and average lows in the teens. That's so cold you can get frost bite in minutes. You have to have everything covered when you go outside," Campbell said.

Hardware stores also report strong sales of space heaters.

Some shoppers have also picked up Easy Heat Cables for their already frozen pipes.

"They're fairly efficient, and it doesn't take a whole lot of power to warm them up," Nick Raser with Lowe's said.

If the storm system changes directions, then Campbell warns a bigger snowfall is possible.

"All we need is to get that moisture from the south and these cold temperatures and boom it's there. Believe it, or not that's one of the biggest hazards we face in the valley," Campbell said.

If you're using a space heater, Knoxville Firefighters urge you to be careful.

Remember to leave at least three feet between the heater and anything flammable, such as curtains or couches.

Even if it has an auto shut off, firefighters recommend you still unplug it before you go to bed.

Finally, avoid extension cords.

If you must use one, firefighters say make sure to read instructions on your particular unit and don't run them under any carpet or rug.