BIRMINGHAM(AP) — The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning Monday for northeast Alabama, predicting some areas could receive as much as 3 inches of snow by midday Tuesday.

The warning for Marshall and Jackson counties included Guntersville and Fort Payne, and forecasters said there could be enough snow accumulation to cause travel problems, particularly in higher elevations.

The weather service issued a winter weather advisory for a wider section of north Alabama as far south as metro Birmingham. Forecasters said that area could receive anything from a dusting to as much as two inches of snow eastward toward the Georgia state line.

All the snow is supposed to turn to rain by Tuesday afternoon, when temperatures are predicted to reach the mid- to upper 30s.

Two east Alabama school systems, Cherokee and Clay counties, delayed opening schools Tuesday because of the threat of slippery roads. The Alabama Education Association canceled a statewide reading event that was supposed to include about 1,000 students in Montgomery because of the possibility of travel problems.

Forecasters said the chance of snow was present because of a storm system over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico mixing with colder air to the north.