ATLANTA (AP) — A winter storm left 2 to 4 inches of snow in parts of Mississippi on Thursday morning and was headed east toward Alabama, with the system expected to spread across northern Georgia and into the Washington, D.C., area, according to the National Weather Service. The winter blitz follows days of heavy rain across much of the Southeast.

Meteorologist Daniel Lamb said the storm left around 3 inches of snow on the ground in the Jackson metro area and that parts of East Mississippi would be under a threat of snow until about noon. Lamb said the snow would melt off quickly once temperatures rose to the upper 40s.

The last time central Mississippi got at least 2 inches of snow was in February of 2010.

In Mississippi and Alabama, some schools opened late because of concerns over slick roads.

Winter storm warnings were in effect for parts of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

The snow was moving into Alabama after heavy rain led to some flooding. Some areas of Alabama had received as much as 6 inches of rain since Sunday.

In northern Georgia, the heaviest snow was expected to fall in the mountains, with lighter amounts possible in parts of the Atlanta area.

Snow also was possible across much of North Carolina, with as much as 8 inches in the northwestern mountains.

About 1 to 3 inches of snow was expected in the Washington area and parts of central Maryland. In Washington, a winter storm watch was replaced with a less-serious winter weather advisory. Federal offices were open Thursday.

In Virginia, the National Weather Service expected snowfall to range from a dusting in Hampton Roads to as much as 9 inches in the Blue Ridge Mountains and other high elevations.