A yellow weather warning has been issued for Greater Manchester.
Snow and sleet has already arrived in some parts of the region and is forecast to continue falling into Friday evening.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow, sleet and rain from now until 9pm .
Motorists are warned of tricky driving conditions with an increased risk of collisions.
Forecasters say the rain will turn to wintry showers this evening and continue overnight, falling heaviest over the Pennines.
This week's chilly spell will persist tonight with minimum temperatures of 1C.
The yellow alert states: "The area of precipitation currently across this region is expected to be slow moving, with snow falling across higher routes (above 300 m), and potential for heavier bursts to bring temporary lying snow down to around 100 m above sea level.
"Accumulations are not expected to amount to more than a a few centimetres, and will often be transient.
"As the precipitation eases later today, and warm air becomes increasingly mixed in, any wintry element will eventually become confined to the highest ground this evening, where impacts are less likely."
Snowfall has already caused disruption across the North West today.
Two major routes between Manchester and Sheffield were closed as a result of snow, which led to vehicles becoming stranded on the Snake Pass.
Both the A57 Snake Pass and the Woodhead Pass were closed due to the hazardous conditions.
The weekend, however, will see brighter weather and even some sunshine with temperatures warming up on Saturday.
Early outbreaks of rain will clear by mid-morning
