North Carolinians should pay close attention to their local weather forecast, make sure they are prepared with what they need at home before Friday afternoon, and stay home if possible as ice on the roadways will likely create dangerous driving conditions.

Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency for North Carolina on Thursday before Friday’s winter storm. The announcement was made on Thursday, Jan. 9, about 24 hours before forecasts predicted winter weather to begin moving into the Carolinas.

Snow and ice is expected in north Georgia and metro Atlanta by Friday morning with a quick change over to rain and freezing rain for much of the day. Many schools and government offices have already closed ahead of the storm.

Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency for the state of Georgia as a winter storm is expected to impact the state Friday. This state of emergency is effective immediately and lasts through Tuesday,

Much of north Georgia is under a winter storm warning from Friday morning until Saturday. The far northern part of the state can expect between two and four inches of accumulation, according to the National Weather Service.

We have issued a Weather Impact Alert for likely snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain for parts of north Georgia Friday through early Saturday morning.