ATLANTA (AP) — A wintry mix of snow and sleet was taking aim at several states in the Deep South, causing concern in a region that doesn’t see regular snowfall.

The National Weather Service said between ½ inch and 1 inch of snow was expected in many areas by Friday night, although ground temperatures should be warm enough to melt the precipitation quickly.

But in southern states, even small amounts of snow are enough to get people’s attention.

“It’s the first snow of the season and any time you even mention snow in the South, you’re going to get people a little panicky,” said David Nadler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s office near Atlanta.

The weather service issued winter weather advisories for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. The advisory area includes the cities of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and Birmingham, Alabama.

Up an inch of snow was possible in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi by the morning commute on Friday.

In the metro Atlanta area, where ice storms in recent years have paralyzed the freeway system and brought the city to a standstill, forecasts call for light snow accumulations.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty right now” about snowfall amounts and where it will fall, Nadler said.

Forecasters on Thursday said the best chance for a ½ inch to 1 inch of snow was along the Interstate 85 corridor from Alabama through Atlanta and into South Carolina.

Temperatures in the Atlanta area should be in the range of 35 to 40 degrees Friday morning and won’t fluctuate much through the day, Nadler said.

“We’re not expecting temperatures to drop below freezing until sometime Friday evening,” Nadler said.

That’s good news for Atlanta commuters, who likely won’t face major hassles during Friday morning’s rush hour.