A mixture of snow, sleet, ice pellets and rain created dangerous travel conditions across north Alabama and southern Tennessee on Friday, sending motorists sliding into ditches and each other.

State troopers reported more than a dozen wrecks in Colbert and Lauderdale counties Friday.

Road conditions were expected to worsen overnight. Forecasters warned icy patches might not thaw until Sunday. Up to 2 inches of snow and sleet were expected before the wintry mix tapers around noon today.

A winter weather advisory was in effect for north Alabama and southern Tennessee.

"The best thing people can do is to not be on the roads unless they absolutely have to be out there," said Lauderdale County Engineer Ken Allamel. "If they have to get out, they need to go slow and be extremely careful. The roads are going to be extremely dangerous in some areas until up in the day on Sunday. We've got crews out dusting (roads) and we are going to work all night, but there's no way we can get to all the slick spots. There's just too many from one end of the county to the other."

Icy roads also were reported in western Colbert County, where road crews were prepared to work throughout the night.

"We're hoping it will warm up a little and help us out, but now it's starting to look like that may not happen," said Colbert County Engineer John Bedford.

Forecasters had originally predicted the temperature would rise into the middle 30s today. The forecast now calls for a high temperature around 30.

Temperatures also were lower than expected Friday when the high was forecast to be near 40 degrees. The temperature failed to rise above freezing in some communities Friday.

Schools throughout north Alabama and southern Tennessee were closed Friday or dismissed early as roads started to become slick.

Classes scheduled for today at the University of North Alabama have been canceled.

Wrecks caused by slick roads kept tow truck drivers busy Friday.

"We are snowed under. We are covered up with calls," quipped John Heupel at Simpson's Wrecker Service in Sheffield. "We've been to a bunch of wrecks, and I expect we will be going to a whole lot more before it finally warms up on Sunday."

Mary Cox, at Cox Towing in Killen, said drivers were busy Friday. "We're covered up with wreck calls," she said.

Ambulance crews in Colbert and Lauderdale reported responding to numerous calls Friday, including wrecks caused by slick roads.

An Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman said the worst roads were in northern Lauderdale County near the state line.

A spokeswoman at the Tennessee Highway Patrol said numerous wrecks were reported in Lawrence and Wayne counties where snow and sleet were blanketing the ground and some roads.

Travel is discouraged on the Natchez Trace Parkway from northern Colbert County to Nashville. Some portions of the parkway were covered with snow Friday. The parkway bridge over the Tennessee River in the Shoals was reportedly slick. Motorists using the parkway this weekend are urged to be careful and watch for snow and ice on the roadway as well as fallen trees.

Mike Melton, director of Colbert County Emergency Management Agency, recommends avoiding travel today and early Sunday. "The roads are going to be bad. It's going to be a good weekend just to stay at home."

Sandy LaCorte, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Huntsville, expects temperatures to rise into the 40s Sunday under sunny skies, which should melt much of the ice that might remain on area roads.

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@TimesDaily.com.