A number of East Tennessee school systems plan to send kids home early on Wednesday because of severe weather in the forecast, and a few school systems are canceling classes altogether.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Monroe County Schools and Sweetwater City Schools will dismiss at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Claiborne County Schools will also close at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Hawkins County Schools and Greene County Schools will dismiss at noon on Wednesday for the same reason.
Athens City Schools, Etowah County Schools, Meigs County Schools, McMinn County Schools and Rogersville City Schools will be closed Wednesday due to the threat of severe storms.
A scramble to dismiss students at 11:30 to beat the storm is not a stress we want to put on families. We apologize for any inconvenience but must err on the side of caution," McMinn County Schools said in a post of the district's Facebook page. "We know our community is also sensitive to the recent tragic storm we experienced in November. Stay safe tomorrow!"
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga also announced it will be closed all day Wednesday due to the threat of inclement weather. All of the university's classes are canceled, and offices are closed.
UTC-ALERT Due to threat of inclement weather and for safety, UTC will close on Wednesday, March 1. Classes are cancelled and offices closed.
— UTChattanooga (@UTChattanooga) March 1, 2017
RELATED: What makes a thunderstorm severe?
The 10Weather team expects a line of strong to severe storms to move through East Tennessee Wednesday afternoon and early evening. Damaging winds and large hail are a possibility, and while chances are low, an isolated tornado is not out of the question. Click here for the latest forecast.
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Twitter pages for WBIR Meteorologists/Weathercasters: Todd Howell, Matt Sanderson, Cassie Nall and Rebecca Sweet.