Georgia Braces for a Major Winter Storm

The closings have started in the Atlanta area, and there is a serious run on milk, bread, and bottled water at local grocery stores.

Major airlines like Detla, AirTran and American began canceling flights and at least two state highways in North Georgia were already closed Friday night as a "significant" winter storm barreled it's way into the state, bringing with it ice and maybe as much as a foot of snow, with the promise of more to come.

On Friday, GDOT trucks were loaded and outfitted with snow plows and spreads. GDOT has alerted more than 200 members of its metro staff that they may need to come in Sunday, and hundreds more were on call statewide.

The National Weather Service issued a watch for a "significant" winter storm  for much of the state for Sunday night through Monday night.

The National Weather Service said the snow will start Sunday evening and continue through early Monday morning.

"Initially, areas from Carrollton to metro Atlanta to Washington will  mix with or change over to sleet,  limiting accumulations to three to five inches of snow and sleet," the Weather Service said. "North of this area, accumulations will be higher, with five to seven inches expected with the higher elevations remaining all snow, resulting in locally higher accumulation amounts."

Delta Air Lines on Friday began making preparations for flight cancellations, and also is allowing customers whose flights are affected by the storm to change their schedules without fees.

A Delta spokesperson said in a statement that beginning Sunday night, "flight delays are expected at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as a result of winter weather, and Delta will proactively reduce flight schedules to minimize delays."

Bergen  suggested travelers check with websites of individual airlines for flight status or check www.fly.faa.gov for real-time information on airport conditions.

More updates to follow as the weather forecasts and radar get more detailed readings.