Thanksgiving US travel: Storms, blizzard and fog to disrupt millions
Widespread travel delays will mount across the United States in the days leading up to Thanksgiving with severe storms, thick fog, flooding rain, high winds and even a blizzard in the forecast across the country.
Millions of Americans traveling for Thanksgiving could face weather-related delays on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Everything from severe thunderstorms to flooding rain, fog and a blizzard will create travel disruptions for millions of people across the United States in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Fog, severe weather, wind and torrential downpours led to travel delays in part of the south-central United States and the northern part of the Rockies and interior Northwest on Monday.
Tuesday: Travel trouble shifts to East, North-Central and returns to Northwest
The same two storm systems will continue to move along on Tuesday and Tuesday night.
While the storm originating from the Southern states may lose intensity as it reaches the Northeast, it will still pose a challenge for some travelers due to gusty thunderstorms, rain-slicked highways and fog.
As the volume of highway and airline traffic increases, the likelihood of delays will mount. Blowing spray and slick conditions on the highways can increase the risk of accidents, and therefore, temporary road closures may occur. Poor visibility at airports may force flights to operate under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and may require greater spacing between departing and arriving aircraft.
There is a likelihood of heavy and locally severe thunderstorms from northern Georgia to the southern parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as the western part of the Florida Panhandle into Tuesday evening.
As the line of storms advances, it will lead to disruptive downpours in the Interstate 85 corridor and may result in ground stops at area airports, including Atlanta and New Orleans.
"Across the northern tier of the Central states, an area of snow will evolve into more of a snowstorm and then later, blizzard conditions in some areas," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
The north-central storm will primarily affect interstates 29 and 94 in the region with slippery travel, delays and potential road closures through Tuesday night.
Winds will howl around the Great Lakes from Tuesday night to Thanksgiving Day. Power outages are anticipated. The strongest winds may focus along Lakes Superior and Erie. Buffalo, New York, could especially be hard-hit Wednesday night to Thursday morning.
"In the Northwest, a storm will arrive from the Pacific with low-elevation drenching rain, localized flooding and high-elevation snow beginning on Tuesday as an atmospheric river develops and persists through Wednesday and into Thanksgiving Day," Buckingham said.
Wednesday: Great Lakes blizzard, East Coast lingering rain, Northwest atmospheric river
Much colder air will sweep from the Central states to the East and South Wednesday into Thursday. The average drop in high and low temperatures behind the cold front will be 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit, but even greater in some locations.
"As the storm in the north-central tier continues into the middle of the week, substantial blowing and drifting snow is forecast in portions of Minnesota and northern Michigan, with an all-out blizzard developing in the vicinity of Lake Superior," Buckingham said.
Major travel problems will occur along portions of interstates 35 and 94 in Minnesota. Blizzard conditions are forecast from Alexandria and Duluth, Minnesota, to Ironwood and Marquette, Michigan. Some secondary roads may be blocked by drifts. Near-zero visibility at times may make travel dangerous.
Farther southeast, as a sweep of Arctic air expands, bands of lake-effect snow will develop off lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, with interstates 75, 79, 80, 81, 86, 90 and 196 primarily affected by pockets of heavy snow, snow-covered roads and poor visibility.
"Wind gusts over 40 mph could cause airline delays in cities including Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland," Buckingham warned.
While the storm along the East Coast will begin to head out to sea, some travel delays associated with morning rain and fog are likely on Wednesday. Weather conditions should improve on Wednesday afternoon and evening along the Atlantic Seaboard. However, some airlines may continue to experience delays, depending on the extent and amount of rain and fog earlier in the day.
In the Northwest, the heaviest rain from the atmospheric river will focus on southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon, but it will also affect parts of the I-5 corridor. Airline and highway delays are anticipated at Seattle, as well as in Portland, Oregon.
"Snow levels will rise to above the major passes in the Cascades on Wednesday, but rain, fog and gusty winds may still pose some travel challenges," Buckingham said.
Thanksgiving Day: Great Lakes, Northwest travel troubles
By Thanksgiving Day, the majority of travel problems in the U.S. will be largely confined to less than 100 miles off the shores of the Great Lakes and the zone from the northern part of the Rockies to the coastal Northwest.
Bands of heavy lake-effect snow will expand well inland over Michigan, the northern parts of Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and across western, central and northern New York.
An area of accumulating snow will push inland in the Northwest to northern and central Idaho, much of Montana and northern Wyoming.
Along the I-5 corridor in Washington and Oregon, slow and slick travel is to be expected due to rain as the atmospheric river continues.
In central and South Florida, some disruptions due to spotty thunderstorms are possible.
Thanksgiving Day parade weather in NYC
While the weather will be free of rain (and snow) in New York City on Thanksgiving Day, gusty winds may pose some trouble for those spending time outdoors. This includes both parade goers and balloon handlers for the traditional parade in New York City in the morning.
Those waiting on location for the parade for many hours are encouraged to bundle up, as AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will be mainly in the 30s, occasionally dipping into the 20s.
The large parade balloons may need to be lowered to street level for safety. While the north-south avenues may offer some shelter from the wind, the intersections at each street may be the most troublesome, as winds will generally blow through the concrete canyons from west to east. The strongest winds are likely to be late in the morning through the afternoon and evening.
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