Winter weather heads south

ATLANTA (AP) — Winter storm watches cover parts of Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas ahead of a storm system that threatens to bring a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow to the South.
The heavy stuff will miss St. Mary, but we’re in for a wintry weekend nevertheless.
Rain is likely through Friday night. By Saturday morning, the low here will be near freezing. On Sunday morning, the low will be near 28 degrees, posing a risk to the three Ps: pipes, pets and plants.
The storm system expected to move into the region on Friday could cause slick streets and highways from Texas all the way east to the Carolinas, forecasters said.
Even parts of the deep South — including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama — are bracing for sleet or snow.
Light to moderate snow could extend from central Alabama to southeastern Virginia late Friday into early Saturday, the federal government’s Weather Prediction Center said in an advisory.
The center said parts of North Carolina could get 4 inches or more of snow. And there is “a slight risk” of 8 inches or more of snow in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia, it said.
Snow also is also possible in Atlanta, where snow and ice have jammed freeways in past storms. The National Weather Service projects that 2 inches of snow could fall in Atlanta, with slightly higher amounts in some suburbs.
Forecasters say they don’t expect the worst of the wintry weather to strike metro Atlanta until after schools dismiss Friday.