ATLANTA - 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.

Forecasters say the storm system expected to move into the region on Friday could slicken streets and highways from Texas all the way east to the Carolinas.

Even parts of the deep South - including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama - are bracing for sleet or snow.

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.