NASHVILLE — State officials say the storms and freezing temperatures this past week in Tennessee caused 22 deaths.
Two were in the Southeast Tennessee area: A homeless man died of exposure in downtown Chattanooga, and an 85-year-old military veteran died in Sequatchie County in a trailer home with no heat.
Gov. Bill Haslam on Saturday elevated Tennessee to a higher-level state of emergency, meaning hard-hit areas may be eligible for state and federal assistance.
Forecasters say the heavy precipitation has gone, but most of the state will see low temperatures in the teens to mid-20s the rest of the week.
Parts of the state were expected to get about a half-inch of snow Sunday night, with some freezing rain and sleet in parts of West Tennessee. However, the remainder of the week is expected to be cloudy and partly sunny.
Crews work to clear the road in this TDOT photo.According to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, there are about 32,000 power outages in Tennessee.
Meanwhile, forecasters in Georgia warned of potential sleet and freezing drizzle in the north and northwest parts of the state.
The National Weather Service on Sunday issued a winter weather advisory for 19 northern counties, including the cities of Blairsville, Cartersville, Dahlonega, Dalton and Rome.
Forecasters say the wintry mix was expected late Sunday night and into this morning, with mixed rain and sleet followed by freezing temperatures, which could leave a glaze of ice on elevated surfaces.
Much the same was forecast for northern and central Alabama.
The National Weather Service said a winter weather advisory would cover a large part of northern Alabama — including the cities of Florence, Huntsville and Decatur — through 9 a.m. today.
Forecasters said rain would gradually turn to sleet and freezing rain by 10 p.m. Sunday across much of northern Alabama.
A freezing rain advisory was issued for areas further south, including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. Forecasters said periods of freezing rain could pose travel problems in that area this morning.