By the time Pike County residents pick up their morning paper, there should be snow accumulated on the ground.

That is, if forecasts for three to five inches of snowfall are accurate.

National Weather Service meteorologists are calling for snowfall to have begun in Pike County after midnight and last through 6 p.m. Friday.

And, with the anticipation of snow, several local offices and schools have closed their doors for the day.

The Pike County Courthouse, as well as local public and private schools will not open today.

This includes Troy University, which ended classes on the Troy campus at 4 p.m. Thursday. The university has also cancelled its Chinese New Year celebration, set to take place Friday night. Ticket holders will be notified of a rescheduled date.

Both Troy and Brundidge City Hall expected to be open for business, as of late Thursday afternoon.

“I feel we’re going to get a significant amount of snow,” said Pike County EMA Director Larry Davis.

The city of Troy officials held a weather meeting in city hall Thursday to make weather preparations, and department heads all have plans to salt outside buildings so the public can come and go safely when doing city business.

In addition, Public Works Director Vaughn Daniels said the city will be able to clear and salt roads if weather conditions are harsh.

County Engineer Russell Oliver said his department will position motor graders throughout the county and attempt to clear off roads if it becomes an issue.

“Our biggest concern is our roads and bridges freezing,” Oliver said.

“Please don’t try to drive if you don’t have to.”

Temperatures are forecast to be in the low 20s late Friday night, Davis said. The heaviest parts of the snow are anticipated between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Alabama Department of Transportation officials said they anticipate some delays in traffic on major highways, but they aren’t sure what to expect at this time.

State road closings will be posted on www.dot.state.al.us.

Local law enforcement will be out in full force Friday, prepared to assist with snowfall.

“We’ll have all the deputies and investigators out riding to assist any stranded motorists,” said Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas.

“We’ll be out there if you need us.”

Brundidge Police Chief Moses Davenport and Troy Police Chief Anthony Everage said while their departments will be available for emergencies Friday, they hope motorists will stay off the roads.

“If you don’t have to drive, don’t drive,” Davenport said.

“We don’t know for sure what will happen. If we start having snow, we’re asking people to stay off the roads,” Everage said.

Local utility departments will also be available to answer emergency calls in the case of power outages.

“Our folks are on call,” said South Alabama Electric Cooperative Spokeswoman Chellie Phillips.

To report an outage, residents in their coverage area should call 1-800-556-2060, which she said is the quickest way to address the problem. Otherwise, residents can report on the company’s Web site.

Troy Utilities Manager James Flowers said the utility department will also be available to address any emergency situations.