Storm Dave is forecast to bring blizzards and high winds to large areas of Scotland over Easter weekend.
issued a yellow wind warning across mainland Scotland, with snow to hit the west Highlands, Argyll and the Western Isles.
Power firm SSEN said gusts could reach 100mph in parts of the Western Isles and Skye - with the high winds also reaching Orkney and Shetland on Sunday.
Forecasters warned that Storm Dave could also bring damage to Northern Ireland and parts of England and Wales.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) said the weather could disrupt busy Easter weekend travel.
Rebecca Guy, Senior Policy Manager at Rospa, said: "Millions of people are expected to be on the move over the holiday, so we're urging drivers to plan ahead.
"Anyone travelling should take extra care on the roads. The combination of strong winds and periods of heavy rain will make driving conditions challenging."
SSEN said it had "well-rehearsed" plans to deal with damage to its electricity network.
The company said: "The Western Isles, Skye and the Highlands are the areas current weather forecasts indicate will be most at risk on Saturday and Sunday.
"Gusts could surpass 100mph over Skye and the Western Isles on Saturday evening.
"We also expect there to be a high risk of disruptive conditions in Orkney, Shetland and the north east during Sunday."
The Met Office has a wind warning for much of Scotland from 18:00 on Saturday to midday on Sunday.
A separate wind warning, which covers southern Scotland, has been issued to cover from 17:00 Saturday to 07:00 Sunday.
A spokesperson said: "A rapidly deepening area of low pressure, Storm Dave, is likely to move north-eastwards close to or across north-western parts of the UK during Saturday evening and night, clearing to the North Sea by Sunday."
It added: "Peak gusts of 50-60 mph will be possible fairly widely, with 60-70 mph in more exposed locations.
"Large waves may lead to some dangerous conditions around windward coasts."
A yellow weather warning for snow has been issued for 15:00 on Saturday to 03:00 on Sunday.
The Met Office said rain through Saturday afternoon was likely to turn to sleet and snow over hills across central and north-west Scotland.
It said: "During the evening snow may turn heavier and as winds increase, blizzard conditions with drifting and blowing snow likely to lead to very poor visibility across the hills and mountains of the northwest of Scotland."
Forecasters said accumulating snow on roads would mostly be in areas above 656ft (200m), where up to 4in (10cm) was possible and a small chance of up to 8in (20cm).
The weather is expected to clear later on Sunday.