HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Parts of north Alabama on Tuesday were still dealing with the effects of a storm that dumped about a half-foot of snow across the Tennessee Valley.

About a half-dozen school systems delayed opening to allow time for slick spots on roads to thaw out, and the city of Athens said about 700 homes and businesses remained without power, down from a high of about 3,500.

Hanu Karlapalem, who lives in Madison and get electricity from Athens Utilities, told WAAY-TV the extended power outage was an inconvenience that could be worse for others.

“There may be others, there may be children, small children. I mean, I can’t even imagine how they’re managing with this,” he said.

A substation was struck by lightning during the storm, causing the problem, electric department manager Blair Davis said in a statement.

“We’re having to bring these customers back on a little at a time because the temporary fixes are not as stable when it comes to meeting the heat demands in this weather,” he said. “Bringing everyone online at the same time would make the system unstable.”

Between 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) and 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) of snow fell across much of the area late Sunday and early Monday, with a few areas receiving 7 inches (17.78 centimeters), the National Weather Service said. More wintry precipitation is possible Thursday, forecasters said.