Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina was among the worst hit, with almost 90% of flights scrapped, and a message on its website urged passengers to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport.
In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster called on residents to stay off the roads.
“This is going to be a pretty bad storm in the upper part of the state,” he said, adding that it was “good news” that the storm was forecast to hit on a weekend and on a public holiday on Monday, when fewer people would need to travel.
“Hopefully, the storm will underdeliver, but it could overdeliver. We just don’t know,” Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said as he announced preparations for his state.