Maps show where storms threaten Thanksgiving travel across the U.S.
Courtesy: CBS
A spate of winter weather is threatening travel around the Thanksgiving holiday, with rain, snow and powerful winds forecast to roll through the middle of the country this week.
There are two systems bringing soggy and wintry conditions to different parts of the United States on Tuesday, according CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. One will carry wet weather over the Ohio Valley before reaching the Northeast later in the day, while the second is expected to produce strong winds and heavy snowfall across a northern band of the Midwest, from the Plains through the Great Lakes, through Wednesday.
Winter storm warnings were in effect for parts of North Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In Grand Forks, North Dakota, a winter storm warning was set to remain in place through Tuesday night, and forecasters said the region could expect to see up to 6 inches of snow accumulate, along with winds as high as 35 mph.
In the Twin Cities, the National Weather Service office warned early Tuesday that snowfall rates in the region were already exceeding 1 inch per hour, and gusty winds of up to 45 mph could cause blizzards.
Twin Cities residents were bracing for the latter portion of a two-part storm that initially arrived Monday evening with rainfall and was expected to bring rain and snowfall through Wednesday, CBS Minnesota reported. The area could see up to 5 inches of snow by Wednesday morning, with some places forecast to receive as much as 8 inches.
Chicago was experiencing mild weather Tuesday morning and preparing for a bout of light rain and fog through Wednesday, when a cold front is expected to move through the area, CBS Chicago reported. Temperatures will likely drop below freezing on Thanksgiving and remain low into Friday.
Parts of upstate New York were experiencing powerful winds on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, downstate areas, including New York City, were preparing for rainfall later in the day, potentially hampering travel in the lead-up to Thanksgiving. Cold temperatures and blustery winds were expected to settle in on Thursday, CBS New York reported.
The impacts of this week’s winter weather will be most severe in areas closest to the Canadian border, where some places could receive 20 or 30 inches of snow, Nolan said, adding that high winds across the upper Midwest could potentially reach 40 mph, with even stronger gusts. That could possible interrupt travel along major interstates, including I-29, I-90 and I-94, as well as major airports in Chicago, Duluth, Fargo, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Pierre, South Dakota.
Along with New York City, a handful of metropolitan areas were expecting rain, including Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Cincinnati, Nashville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. Nolan said the rain could cause delays for drivers traveling along I-20, I-40, I-65, I-75 and I-95, in addition to air travelers at airports in the cities expecting rain, as well as Indianapolis and Memphis.
A number of airports that could be affected are expecting huge crowds around the upcoming holiday. In Chicago, for example, airports are anticipating about 3.6 million passengers this week, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.
