The Tennessee Valley could see some of the heaviest snowfall, with 6 inches expected on Friday. A wide swath of the country is under winter weather warnings and advisories and will see impacts including "widespread closures, treacherous travel, scattered power outages, and downed branches," the weather service said.

In Atlanta, where public schools were closed, forecasters expect freezing rain and up to three inches of snow starting Friday morning. With the northern half of Georgia under a winter storm warning, Gov. Brian P. Kemp declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of the forecast and said it would be in place through Tuesday.