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© WSBTV
The winter storm watch posted for Tuesday for the southern suburbs southward through middle Georgia has been expanded northward to include almost all of metro Atlanta, with forecasters warning that a "significant" winter storm is likely.

The watch, which goes into effect Tuesday morning and continues into early Wednesday, was initially issued Sunday for Clayton, Coweta, Fayette and Henry counties southward. But early Monday, the National Weather Service added Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Paulding, Douglas, Carroll, Haralson, Barrow, Jackson and Madison counties to the watch area.

The Weather Service said snow accumulations of a half inch to 2 inches are possible in those new counties, while south of there, accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are possible.

"The potential exists for significant impacts from this storm system" the Weather Service said at daybreak Monday. "Confidence is increasing in this event occurring."

The snow is expected to begin early Tuesday in the far south and continue through early Wednesday, with the heaviest precipitation expected Tuesday night. In metro Atlanta, the snow is expected to begin as early as mid-morning Tuesday.

Overall, the winter storm watch extends from the Gulf coast of Texas to coastal Virginia.

"You've got nothing to worry about today," Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said before daybreak Monday. "Tomorrow is when we'll start dealing with it."

Minton said "very cold air is going to come diving in here starting this evening, and those temperatures will drop fairly quickly."

In the meantime, Minton said, "an area of low pressure is developing along the east coast and that is going to help throw back some moisture to us, while the cold air comes diving in here."

Minton said that after Monday highs in the low 50s, temperatures will be in the upper teens and low 20s early Tuesday, and highs Tuesday will only climb to around 34 degrees.

The chance of precipitation Tuesday is 80 percent, Minton said.

Check the full forecast and track changes.

The snow should taper off early Wednesday, when lows in the low 20s will be followed by highs again in the mid-30s.

Thursday will begin with lows in the teens, but the afternoon should be a little warmer, with highs in the low 40s.

Friday will be even warmer, with lows in the upper 20s and highs around 50 degrees.