Storm with snow, rain triggers Thanksgiving travel woes in Northeast
A strengthening storm Thanksgiving storm will bring enough snow and rain to slow down travel and lead to some flight cancellations in the East ahead of a dangerous lake-effect snow event.
The Thanksgiving travel rush is here, and millions of Americans are on the move, hitting the roads and packing airports as they head to holiday destinations.
A storm lingering into Thanksgiving night will cause significant travel delays for tens of millions as it delivers drenching rain to areas along the Northeast coast and snow flies and accumulates farther to the north and west, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
The storm unloaded feet of snow on California's Sierra Nevada Range into Tuesday night and was made for wintry conditions from Utah's Wasatch Range and Colorado's Rocky Mountains at midweek. From 2-4 inches of snow fell around Denver. The storm was making for travel headaches and spoiling outdoor plans on Thanksgiving Day in the Northeast.
The rain will cause problems ranging from ponding and the risk of hydroplaning on the highways to poor visibility due to blowing spray from other vehicles and areas of dense fog.
Low cloud ceilings and rain can slow air travel down as well. As the storm pivots through the major hubs in the east, flight delays and cancellations will mount.
There is some good news for the duration of the rain in parts of the East: The bulk of it will be confined to a few hours into Thursday night in the Southeast in the form of showers and thunderstorms. However, some of the storms can be locally severe with gusty winds and torrential downpours.
Farther to the north, the steady rain has already ended around Washington, D.C., and should be exiting Philadelphia during the midday hours. Around New York City, the rain will soak parade-goers in the morning, and it may take until mid-afternoon for the rain to leave the metro area fully. Around Boston, the rain will be an all-day affair and may even last into the evening.
Farther to the north and west, the bulk of the rain and snow in the Ohio Valley states wrapped up early on Thanksgiving morning.
Farther to the east, near I-80 and north to I-90, the snow will accumulate on colder, non-paved and elevated surfaces, as well as on some roads.
Slippery travel is anticipated throughout the higher elevations from northern Pennsylvania and western, central and east-central New York state to central New England. In northeastern New York and northern New England, the snow will accumulate on roads in lower elevations and the mountains.
The heaviest snow will fall on the higher elevations from northeastern Pennsylvania and eastern New York to Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and western Massachusetts, where 3-12 inches of snow can pile up. The large gradation of snowfall will be associated with increasing elevation. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ snowfall of 15 inches is most likely to occur on the ridges.
The snow will be wet and clingy and can weigh down some trees and power lines with the risk of sporadic power outages. Losing power is never a good thing, but with many preparing holiday meals, a loss of power could really throw a wrench into holiday plans.
As the storm exits to the northeast, January-like cold air will pour in across the Midwest later Thursday and Thursday night and across the East from Thursday night to Friday. In most cases, roads will dry off, but there can be some locations in the northern states and perhaps in the southern Appalachians where dampness and slush will linger, becoming icy as the temperature drops.
As the cold air blasts across the Great Lakes, flurries, bands of snow and heavy snow squalls will develop and can lead to dangerous conditions for post-Thanksgiving travelers. The lake effect may begin over the Upper Midwest as early as Thursday but will really ramp up throughout the Great Lakes and interior Northeast from Thursday night to Friday and can last through the weekend and into early next week. The lake effect can have much more serious travel consequences than the cross-country Thanksgiving storm, as it could strand motorists on the highways.
As the colder weather pattern continues next week, storms from western Canada, known as Alberta Clippers, are forecast to swing across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast. These storms can carry light to moderate snow all the way to the Northeast coast.
Cold weather and snow evoke different emotions for a large group of winter sports fanatics. Skiing enthusiasts will be leaping for joy with the pattern into next week, which will capture much of the extended Thanksgiving break. Even where fresh snow fails to fall, the colder conditions will allow many resorts to make snow and open slopes in the coming days.
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