Ice and snow bring chaotic commutes to much of South --- (CNN) -- Cars stuck in ditches. Children stranded at schools that parents can't reach. Icy roads and snow that shows no sign of stopping. -- As a winter storm slammed into a broad swath of the South on Tuesday, authorities warned drivers to stay off the streets. -- "This is a very dangerous situation," Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said in the afternoon. "People need to stay at home. They need to stay there until conditions improve." -- Motorists in major metropolitan areas including Atlanta sat trapped in gridlock as schools and offices shut down, unleashing hordes of vehicles onto slushy roadways. -- While Northerners may laugh at their Southern friends' panic over a dusting of snow, the threat is real: With relatively few resources to battle snow and ice, public works crews may have a difficult time keeping up with any significant accumulation. -- Add to that the fact that millions of Southern drivers aren't used to driving on snow or ice, and things were getting tricky fast. - More, CNN, at: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/28/us/winter-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t1