A state of emergency has been declared for Tennessee ahead of another winter storm system that could bring snow, ice and strong winds to the region this weekend.
Tennessee's emergency management office issued the alert Thursday as weather forecasters predicted the storm to hit today, with 4 to 6 inches of snow expected in parts of the state.
Chattanooga could see 1-3 inches of snow tonight, while higher elevations may receive up to 5 inches, especially along the Southern Cumberland Plateau in Marion, Sequatchie, Grundy and Bledsoe counties, according to Mary Black, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn. Those areas are now under a "heavy snow" warning.
Plummeting temperatures in the upper 20s will create hazardous road conditions through Saturday, Black said.
Freezing rain in Georgia's northern counties is expected to begin between 1-7 a.m. today, the National Weather Service said. Up to a quarter inch of ice is expected to accumulate in parts of North Georgia. A winter storm warning covers about a dozen Northwest Georgia counties.
Some areas in the North Georgia mountains could see up to 4 inches of snow.
Black said there is a 100 percent chance of precipitation today, beginning with rain in the morning and transitioning into a wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet in the late afternoon before finally turning into snow tonight.
She said higher elevations will transition from rain a few hours earlier than Chattanooga and will begin to see snow between noon and 2 p.m.
There also is a wind advisory in effect for some higher elevations with wind gusts expected to reach 35-40 mph.
Ice accumulation is expected, especially in mountainous areas and back roads that aren't as heavily treated, but not quite as much as some services are predicting for counties in Northwest Georgia.
Conditions should begin to improve Saturday as the winter system moves northeast but, Black said, Chattanooga will continue to have have scattered bands of snow throughout the area that morning.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is warning motorists of hazardous driving conditions. Forecasters say travel will be difficult, if not impossible, during the storm today.
In Georgia, residents were taking the ominous forecasts in stride.
"To me personally, it's not anything that I fret over," said Sarah Luster, manager of a welcome center in Clayton.
Some people are urging friends to "get your milk and bread," Luster said, "but I don't tend to freak out like that."
North Alabama also has the potential for some winter weather.
The weather service on Thursday issued a winter weather advisory for central Alabama, including metro Birmingham, and a flash flood watch covered the Tennessee Valley region to the north. A gale warning was in effect for coastal waters including Mobile Bay.
The weather service said rain is expected to begin changing to snow in central Alabama beginning this morning as far south as Clanton. Accumulations of around one-quarter inch were possible, with up to 1 inch in north-central Alabama.
The northern corners of the state could get more snow. Forecasters said more than 1.5 inches of snow could fall in northeastern and northwestern Alabama from this afternoon through early Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.
CLOSURES
* UTC is closing at 3 p.m. today and all day Saturday. All events closed.
* All Hamilton County athletic events have been postponed.
* All Tennessee emissions testing stations are closed.
* Fannin County Public Health Department is closed.
* Gilmer County Public Health Department is closed.
* Whitfield County Schools will close early today because of the weather forecast. Elementary schools will close at 1 p.m. and middle and high school will close at 2 p.m.
* All school-related activities scheduled for Saturday are canceled for Whitfield County Schools.
* All Tennessee state offices will be closed today.
* Chickamauga City Schools will have regular school hours today. All extracurricular activities this evening and Saturday are cancelled. Aftercare will close at 4 p.m.
* The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority has announced that it's four facilities in Whitfield County will close early at 3 p.m. today due to inclement weather. Locations include the Old Dixie Landfill & Convenience Center, McGaughey Chapel Convenience Center in Cohutta, Westside Convenience Center in Rocky Face, and the M.L. King Blvd. Convenience Center in Dalton.
* The North Georgia Health District office in Dalton and Public Health Departments in Cherokee, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties will close today at noon - this includes all WIC and Children's Health Services.
* Saturday's UTC men's basketball game against VMI has been postponed.
* UTC and McCallie have postponed administering Saturday's scheduled SAT tests on their sites until Feb. 20.
* The College Goal TN: Framing the Future conference that was to take place Saturday on the campus of UTC has been canceled.
DELAYS
* Dayton City Schools will open two hours late.
EARLY DISMISSALS
* Hamilton County Schools will dismiss 1 hour and 45 minutes early beginning with the early start schools at 12:30 p.m. School Age Child Care will be closed this afternoon.
* Georgia Northwestern Technical College will close at noon.
* Bradley County Schools will dismiss today at 1:45 p.m.
* Chattanooga State is closing at 4 p.m. There will be no evening classes and they will be closed Saturday.
PREPAREDNESS MEASURES
AT HOME Be sure you have adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm. Have sufficient heating fuel for your home. Store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove. Bring pets and companion animals inside during winter weather. Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas with non-frozen drinking water. If pipes freeze, remove any insulation or layers of newspapers and wrap pipes in rags. Completely open all faucets and pour hot water over the pipes, starting where they were most exposed to the cold (or where the cold was most likely to penetrate). Maintain ventilation when using kerosene heaters to avoid build-up of toxic fumes. Refuel kerosene heaters outside and keep them at least three feet from flammable objects. If you go outside, watch for signs of frostbite (loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities) and hypothermia (uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion). Seek warm shelter and medical treatment immediately for frostbite and hypothermia symptoms. ON THE ROAD Have a winter safety kit in your car with water, food, first aid supplies, blankets, gloves, heavy boots, food, flashlight, extra batteries, and warning lights or flares. Let someone know your destination, your route, and when you expect to arrive. If your car gets stuck along the way, help can be sent along your predetermined route. Call *THP (*847) if you get stranded to be connected to the closest Tennessee Highway Patrol dispatch location. Call 511 for traffic information from the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Monitor local radio and television broadcasts, and NOAA Weather Radio, for updates on weather forecasts and conditions. STAY INFORMED Listen to NOAA Weather Radio for winter weather watches and warnings. Monitor local radio and television stations for updates on weather and road conditions. Download the ReadyTN smartphone app to get weather, road conditions and emergency preparedness information on your smartphone.