CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Southeast is bracing for its first major winter storm of the season, and it's going to make its mark on North Carolina.

Snow is expected to start shortly after daybreak Thursday in the Charlotte area, but forecasters think sleet and freezing rain will be the big troublemakers in North Carolina's largest city and surrounding areas.

A winter storm warning is expected to go into effect early Thursday morning in most counties from Durham west to the Tennessee state line. Up to 4 inches of snow could accumulate Thursday along the Interstate 40 corridor of Hickory and Statesville and the foothills, the National Weather Service said. Other areas could see an inch of sleet.

To the north and west of Charlotte in the Hickory-Statesville corridor, more snow is expected. Accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are forecast, although precipitation in that area also is predicted to switch to sleet and freezing rain later in the day. Snow showers will probably start around 4 a.m.

"It's going to be a painful day for a lot of folks," said Jonathan Blaes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

While it was still too early to say for sure, Blaes expected the largest accumulation of snow in the Greensboro area, and potential ice problems in Chapel Hill and Pittsboro.

The biggest problem in the Charlotte metro area will be the freezing temperatures combined with the rain. Drivers will likely encounter ice on bridges and roads. Ice could also bring down trees and power lines, leaving some in the cold.

Widespread power outages are not expected to occur, however, Blaes said. But he noted that temperatures have been cold for the past 10 days, creating more of a chance for accumulation.

Crews from North Carolina's electric cooperatives are on standby just in case.

"People are confident that it's going to do something," said Teresa Reinhardt, office manager at Ace Hardware in Hickory, who said the store was already busy with people coming in to buy snow shovels and other supplies.

"We have the mothers come in to buy sleds. They don't want to come in when there's snow and find they're all gone," she said.

Crews from the state Department of Transportation treated highways and bridges Wednesday with salt brine, the department said in a statement.

The state Highway Patrol advised commuters to monitor weather reports and drive more carefully.

"The speed limit may say 55, it may say 45, but that doesn't mean you can travel at that speed," said patrol spokesman Lt. Everett Clendenin. "The number one type of collision we have is the rear-end fender-bender."

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools plans to make a decision about whether or not there will be classes based on weather forecasts around 5 a.m. They said the last thing they want to do is implement an early dismissal, which may send many students to homes where there aren’t any adults.

A second batch of freezing rain may come through Thursday night. Either way, the ice will probably stick around through Friday morning.