(CNN) -- A major winter storm with heavy snow and ice was heading from Texas and Oklahoma to points east, with 8 to 10 inches of snow possible in some locales, the National Weather Service said Friday. Forecasters warned of large accumulations of ice in places such as the north Georgia mountains, causing hazardous driving conditions. Ice and heavy wet snow on power lines could cause power outages. "The precipitation will briefly transition back to light snow or flurries Saturday before ending Saturday afternoon," the weather service said. By Friday afternoon the storm was either in or on its way to parts of Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas. Forecasters issued severe storm warnings for these states.

It already was snowing in the afternoon in downtown Nashville,
Tennessee.