NASHVILLE (AP) - The state of Tennessee has declared a state of emergency because of a winter storm that is expected to pound parts of the state with snow and ice.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency says that it activated its emergency operations center Wednesday morning after forecasters predicted that parts of the state could get well over 11 inches of snow. TEMA officials say it was done as a precaution to gear up for a winter weather storm that could be ferocious.

The National Weather Service is predicting that parts of upper east Tennessee in the mountains could see more than 11 inches of snow. Knoxville, Chattanooga and parts of the Cumberland Plateau are forecast to get between 3 to 6 inches of snow. East Tennessee remains under a winter storm warning.