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.

A powerful winter storm that dumped heavy snow and glazed roads with ice across much of Texas and Oklahoma lumbered eastward into southern U.S. states.

A powerful winter storm that unleashed heavy snowfall and coated roads with ice across much of Texas and Oklahoma has pushed into the South, leading governors to declare states of emergency and prompting widespread school closures.