Thanksgiving weather: Travel warnings as winter storm hits central plains
While winter weather may be impacting some states, the East Coast is now enjoying milder weather – and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade has gone ahead as planned in New York City
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Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of Americans are being urged to travel safely as extreme weather and winter storms continue to impact parts of the US over Thanksgiving holiday.
The National Weather Service said in a post on X on Thursday a significant winter storm will bring heavy snow and hazardous travel to parts of the Northern and Central Rockies as well as into the Central Plains through the holiday weekend.
Snow is forecast to spread over Wyoming on Thursday and travel south through Colorado on Friday, the agency said.
While winter weather may be impacting some states, the East Coast is now enjoying milder weather – and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade has gone ahead as planned in New York City.
This comes after Governor Kathy Hochul of New York warned travelers in the state to be cautious earlier in the week as there was a risk of “extreme winter weather” during peak travel days.
Wednesday had been forecast to be the busiest road travel day for US holiday travelers, with more than 49 million Americans believed to be driving to their destinations during the Thanksgiving stretch that day.
Slick roads possible in northeast on Wednesday morning
Roads in parts of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire may be slick on Wednesday morning after overnights storms dump a mix of rain and possible snow on the region Tuesday evening.
Snow is expected to arrived in Maine on Wednesday as a storm system begins moving eastward across the US today.
The Midwest and northeast will feel the brunt of the inclement weather on Tuesday, with thunderstorms, snow, and rain likely.
Rain, not snow, most likely for Midwest, northeast
The National Weather Service reports that most of the precipitation falling east of the Mississippi River over the next two days will be rain.
A major storm system will move across the Midwest and into the northeast on Tuesday, bringing with it thunderstorms and rainfall, which may disrupt flights and cause less than ideal road conditions for motorists traveling for Thanksgiving.
There are some exceptions; the Central Appalachians into portions of the interior northeast may experience sleet and freezing rain on Tuesday morning, and accumulating snows are possible across northern New York state and into northern New England on Tuesday night.
FAA administrator has a message for holiday travelers: be nice to flight staff, or else
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker took to X/Twitter to warn Thanksgiving travelers — who are likely to face possible delays, long lines, and congested airports — to be nice to the flight crews working over the holidays.
“If you’re flying, please be nice to your flight crew. They are there for your safety. The FAA has zero tolerance for unruly behavior,” he said in a post.
Air travelers on Tuesday are most likely to experience disruptions due to a winter storm system moving from the central US across the Midwest and into the northeast.
More than 49 million Americans will drive to Thanksgiving destinations this year
More than 55 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles to reach their Thanksgiving destinations between Wednesday and Sunday, and more than 49 million of those travelers will be driving, according to the AAA.
The Transportation Safety Administration expects a significant portion of those drivers will be on the roads Wednesday. Thankfully, much of the inclement weather predicted for the week will be over, but drivers in parts of northern New York and northern New England should be prepared for possibly slick roads due to sleet and freezing rain Tuesday evening.
FAA predicts nearly 50,000 flights on Wednesday
The FAA is predicting nearly 50,000 flights will take off Wednesday to deliver holiday travelers to their Thanksgiving destinations.
Wednesday will be the peak air travel day, with 49,606 flights scheduled. Tuesday will be the second highest, with 48,403 flights scheduled.
Tuesday may provde a difficult day for air travelers due to a winter storm system moving through the central US into the Midwest and northeast, bringing rain and thunderstorms throughout the region.
Sunday is predicted to be the most popular day for return travelers, with 44,991 flights scheduled.
Tuesday’s forecast map
Freezing rain is possible in the northeast, thunderstorms are forming throughout the Midwest, and both may contribute to delays and disruptions for holiday travelers on Tuesday.
Here’s the latest National Weather Service forecast map for Tuesday.
Rain stretching from Atlanta to Washington DC and New York
A band of rain stretching from Atlanta northward to Washington DC will soak the region Tuesday, causing possible delays and disruptions to holiday travelers.
The rain will move northeast from Washington DC to New York around 5pm.
Freezing rain and sleet are possible in northern New York and northern New England.
Some parts of New England may get up to three inches of snow
While most of the snow that will fall late Tuesday night on New England will melt before accumulation is possible, there are some higher-elevation areas where forecasters expect it to stick.
Massachusetts broadcaster WBZ-TV’s weather team predicts up to three inches of snow could accumulate — for a few hours — in the northern, higher elevation portions of the state.
Most of that snow will be compacted and will melt as temperatures increase on Wednesday.
New York Mayor Eric Adams issues travel advisory
New York Mayor Eric Adams issued a travel advisory for the city’s residents on Tuesday, warning them of heavy rains and strong winds heading into the Thanksgiving holiday stretch.
“@nycemergencymgt has issued a travel advisory for today, November 21, through tomorrow, November 22. Be prepared for heavy rains and strong winds. Bundle up, add extra time for travel, and follow @NotifyNYC for more updates as we have them,” the mayor wrote.
Thanksgiving will be chilly, but mostly dry, according to forecasters
After a wet and windy Tuesday and Wednesday, Thanksgiving day is expected to be relatively dry, but chilly across much of the US.
“High temperatures in the Central and Southern Plains will average 10 to 20 degrees below the norm. Meanwhile in the Northwest, temperatures will be mild for the most part as high pressure builds across the region,” the NOAA reports.
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