A wintry mix - again?

The morning commute won't be fun today if snow arrives as predicted.

"Through the day, it's going to be a wide range between 1 and 4 inches of snow," said Allison Chinchar, NewsChannel9 meteorologist.

Ms. Chinchar said the storm's "heaviest chunk" will fall when most area residents drive to work between 5 and 9 this morning. She had advice for those without the luxury of a snow day.

"Take as much time as you can," she said. "Watch the news, get your traffic report, give yourself some extra time on some of the roads because whatever comes ... that will freeze to the roads. Then we'll have snow on top of that, so even if some of the stuff gets plowed, you're still going to have slick spots on the road."

Some of the higher elevations could have 4 to 5 inches, she said.

"Everybody in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia is going to see something out of this," she said.

As for schools, it's the ultimate bummer for most students living in the Tennessee Valley.

They already have the day off for Presidents Day.

Catoosa and Dade counties were the only area public school systems that considered opening today, but they ended up canceling today's classes for what looks to be another messy winter storm.

Chattanooga spokesman Richard Beeland said Department of Public Works employees were monitoring the situation in case the roads become treacherous today.

"Everybody's tired of this weather, that's for sure," he said. "But the city is well-prepared and we've got everything we need. We urge everyone to use caution and common sense when traveling in this weather. We'll be out on the streets making sure that the roads are passable."

But Ms. Chinchar clarified that any amount of salting or sanding roads does not give motorists a free pass to resume regular driving habits.

"It will stick to the roads until it melts," she said. "You can plow all you want to, but then it builds up on the sides of the roads. And if it slightly melts, it runs back onto the streets and refreezes the following night.

"Even for Tuesday, highs are only in the mid-30s which means some of the higher elevations and outlying areas will be lucky if they break freezing," she said. "You're looking in some places for this not to melt until Wednesday."

The bulk of today's winter storm should head toward the eastern United States after blanketing the Tennessee Valley this morning, according to reports from the National Weather Service. The area could have some flurries this evening, but any additional accumulation should cease before noon.

Snowfalls* Record Chattanooga snowfall for January: 11.6 inches, 1940* January 2010: 5.3 inches (fifth all time)* Record Chattanooga snowfall for February: 10.4, 1960* February 2010: 0.8 inches (through Sunday evening) (Tied for 16th all time)Highs, lowsRecord Chattanooga high and low temperatures for Feb. 14:* High: 76, 1949* Low: (-4), 1905* Sunday's high: 38* Sunday's low: 27Record Chattanooga high and low temperatures for Feb. 15:* High: 79, 1989* Low: 9, 1943 and 1960* Predicted high today: 38* Predicted low today: 20Source: National Weather Service

Today's snow will be the latest episode in a frigid start to the year, one that has Chattanooga residents divided in terms of how they feel about the weather.

"I do like some part of it because I get to play with my little boy in it, running around and making snow angels," said Lakesha Ashley, who works at a Chattanooga gas station. "But I don't like it because I can't get where I need to go, and I miss the sun."

TVA engineer Jason Bischell also is ready for something new.

"I love the South, I'm glad I live down here and I wish it would get back to being warm," he said. "I like walking downtown along the bridges and stuff. I don't know - sometimes I like being inside but I'm ready to get back out again."

It has been a busy few weeks for meteorologists analyzing the Tennessee Valley's weather patterns. One sees the first parts of this year as abnormal.

"It's certainly above-average snowfall for Chattanooga," said Shawn O'Neill, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn. "What's happening is that when we're cold enough for snow, we're getting a lot of these storm systems from the Pacific that are pretty moisture-laden. We usually get our air mass sources from the Central Plains or Canada where there's not much moisture available."

According to Mr. O'Neill, Tennessee wasn't the only unlikely place to receive snowfall this weekend. Other hamlets of warmth - parts of Florida, Alabama and South Carolina - had accumulation for the first time in years.

"The cold air was in place and the moisture became available," he said. "So that's why everything from the panhandle of Florida through Myrtle Beach - where snow accumulation is really quite rare - got a pretty solid swath."

Sunshine and warmer temperatures approaching the upper 40s should return to the Tennessee Valley around the middle of this week, and Ms. Chinchar is predicting rain - and only rain - for the weekend.

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