Strong winds in Northeast to disrupt Thanksgiving holiday plans
By
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 23, 2019 11:09 AM EST
Strong winds are likely to add stress to Thanksgiving travelers hitting the roadways and taking to the sky across the Northeast around the middle of this week.
The winds will whip around a storm that will first unleash snow and blizzard conditions from Colorado to Michigan.
As the storm swings eastward on Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year, the gusty weather will charge on as well.
"Winds kicked up around the lower Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley during Tuesday night and will spread eastward across the Appalachians during Wednesday evening and then the Atlantic coast during Wednesday night through Thanksgiving Day," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
Gusts between 50 and 60 mph were recorded at multiple locations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky during Wednesday morning. As of 11 a.m. CDT Wednesday, a peak gust of 66 mph was recorded at Athens, Indiana.
ComEd is reporting that 18,000 of its customers in the Chicago area are without power due to high winds as to 11:30 a.m. CDT.
Widespread wind gusts of 40-60 mph are forecast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph most likely near the lakeshores and over the ridgetops.
"Increasing winds could end up being very disruptive to travel in the region," Sosnowski said.
Motorists, especially those of high-profile vehicles, will need to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel to avoid veering into other lanes on stretches of interstates 70, 77, 79, 80, 81, 86, 87, 90, 91 and 95.
Rain accompanying the storm for a time may add further travel difficulties by reducing visibility and creating a heightened risk of hydroplaning while traveling at highway speeds.
The windy weather will impact the major hubs of Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., during Wednesday night.
"During episodes of strong, gusty winds, officials must space out the arriving and departing aircraft," Sosnowski said.
"This can cause flight delays and cancellations to increase exponentially during the heavy volume of holiday travelers."
This graphic covers weather-related concerns through Wednesday night.
At the very least, airline passengers will face more turbulent arrival and departure flights from these hubs.
As the storm swings off the coast by Thanksgiving Day, chilly air will be funneled into the Northeast, allowing rain to switch over to snow over northern New England and showers to the east of lakes Erie and Ontario.
Winds are forecast to remain gusty in New York City on Thanksgiving Day, which could ground some of the most iconic and beloved balloons of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Regardless, it will be necessary for spectators to bundle up for this year's festivities, with temperatures generally in the 40s F and AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the 30s. Otherwise, it should be dry for the parade with at least partial sunshine.
Wind gusts can be strong enough from Wednesday night through Thursday to cause sporadic power outages, similar to that of the Midwest from Wednesday.
Chilly, blustery weather is likely to persist across the Northeast for Black Friday shoppers.
Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Strong winds in Northeast to disrupt Thanksgiving holiday plans
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 23, 2019 11:09 AM EST
Strong winds are likely to add stress to Thanksgiving travelers hitting the roadways and taking to the sky across the Northeast around the middle of this week.
The winds will whip around a storm that will first unleash snow and blizzard conditions from Colorado to Michigan.
As the storm swings eastward on Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year, the gusty weather will charge on as well.
"Winds kicked up around the lower Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley during Tuesday night and will spread eastward across the Appalachians during Wednesday evening and then the Atlantic coast during Wednesday night through Thanksgiving Day," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
Gusts between 50 and 60 mph were recorded at multiple locations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky during Wednesday morning. As of 11 a.m. CDT Wednesday, a peak gust of 66 mph was recorded at Athens, Indiana.
ComEd is reporting that 18,000 of its customers in the Chicago area are without power due to high winds as to 11:30 a.m. CDT.
Widespread wind gusts of 40-60 mph are forecast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph most likely near the lakeshores and over the ridgetops.
"Increasing winds could end up being very disruptive to travel in the region," Sosnowski said.
Motorists, especially those of high-profile vehicles, will need to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel to avoid veering into other lanes on stretches of interstates 70, 77, 79, 80, 81, 86, 87, 90, 91 and 95.
Rain accompanying the storm for a time may add further travel difficulties by reducing visibility and creating a heightened risk of hydroplaning while traveling at highway speeds.
Related:
The windy weather will impact the major hubs of Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., during Wednesday night.
"During episodes of strong, gusty winds, officials must space out the arriving and departing aircraft," Sosnowski said.
"This can cause flight delays and cancellations to increase exponentially during the heavy volume of holiday travelers."
This graphic covers weather-related concerns through Wednesday night.
At the very least, airline passengers will face more turbulent arrival and departure flights from these hubs.
As the storm swings off the coast by Thanksgiving Day, chilly air will be funneled into the Northeast, allowing rain to switch over to snow over northern New England and showers to the east of lakes Erie and Ontario.
Winds are forecast to remain gusty in New York City on Thanksgiving Day, which could ground some of the most iconic and beloved balloons of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Regardless, it will be necessary for spectators to bundle up for this year's festivities, with temperatures generally in the 40s F and AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the 30s. Otherwise, it should be dry for the parade with at least partial sunshine.
Wind gusts can be strong enough from Wednesday night through Thursday to cause sporadic power outages, similar to that of the Midwest from Wednesday.
Chilly, blustery weather is likely to persist across the Northeast for Black Friday shoppers.
Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo