The winter weather that blasted much of the state has forced the Alabama High School Athletic Association to move its indoor track and field championships to Monday and Tuesday.

The move was made necessary when Gov. Robert Bentley extended his state-of-emergency declaration through Friday.

The meet had originally been scheduled to begin Friday morning at the Birmingham Crossplex, and would continue through Saturday. The starting times were first delayed on those two days, and then postponed altogether on Thursday afternoon.

“Travel and safety are of the utmost concern,” said executive director Steve Savarese in a press release. “Many of our school systems will still be closed Friday. We also do not want to exclude student-athletes from competing because of this state of emergency. Our Championship Interruption policy provides guidelines concerning these types of situations, and we are following these guidelines.”

AHSAA spokesman Ron Ingram said the meet will generally follow the schedule originally planned for a Friday-Saturday event, but that the times shown on heat sheets at their website are not firm.

About four dozen athletes from Gardendale, Pinson Valley, Mortimer Jordan, Fultondale and Corner are entered in the meet.