ATLANTA (CNN) -- Just as tens of thousands of eager football fans prepared to head to Atlanta for the Super Bowl, Delta Airlines on Friday canceled up to 40 percent of its flights into and out of the city as a major winter storm approached.

Up to 5 inches of sleet and snow were expected to blanket Atlanta. Delta canceled Friday flights from 7 a.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST into and out of Hartsfield International Airport -- one of the world's busiest. More cancellations are likely, said Delta emergency spokesman Dan Lewis.

"Because of the difficult weather conditions and because of the volume of people Hartsfield serves, we are taking measures to help prevent stranded passengers," Lewis said.

Delta is attempting to contact passengers to let them know about the cancellations. Passengers also should check Delta's web site, www.delta-air.com, or call 1-800-325-1999, said Lewis.

Earlier, the storm rolled through the northern parts of Mississippi and Alabama and the western part of Tennessee. The governors in each state declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

Up to eight inches of snow were reported in parts of northern Mississippi and more was expected overnight. Central portions of the state were hit with a mixture of freezing rain, sleet, snow and wind gusts up to 20 mph.

"We're sitting there on go, ready to respond if we have to," said Cliff Lusk, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

In northwestern Alabama, three to five inches of snow were expected while icy conditions were forecast for central Alabama.

"We know we're going to get sleet and snow, but just how we're going to be impacted by the icing is our biggest concern," said Alabama Emergency Management spokesman Scott Adcock.

As the storm bore down on northern Alabama, residents stripped store shelves bare, closed schools and hunkered down by the fireplace Thursday.

In extreme western Arkansas, just under 10 inches of snow had fallen by dusk, and forecasters predicted a significant amount of additional accumulation there in the evening hours.