Travel is kicking into high gear across the US this week as tens of millions of people prepare to head out for the Thanksgiving holiday.
And while the FOX Forecast Center expects some potential disruptions at the beginning and toward the middle of the week, bigger issues may arise for those journeys back home — especially in the Northeast.
‘Tis the season
The FOX Forecast Center said that at the beginning of this week, a weak storm system is expected to bring rain from parts of the Southeast into the Northeast.
Significant travel disruptions aren’t expected with this low-impact storm, and the FOX Forecast Center expects any winter weather to be confined near the Canadian border and in the Great Lakes region.
Winter weather advisories were in effect Monday morning across portions of the Upper Midwest and northern New England as a result of this first storm system.
Meanwhile, with warmer temperatures remaining in the East, heavy rain should fall along the busy Interstate 95 corridor.
But this is by no means a dealbreaker when it comes to Thanksgiving travel.
Thanksgiving winter storm looming?
At the same time, the FOX Forecast Center said a more impactful storm system will be working through the Intermountain West, which could lead to snow-covered roads and delays at major airports across that region.
But of greater concern to residents and visitors in the eastern US, the FOX Forecast Center said it will be tracking a winter storm that could impact millions of people in the Northeast and New England starting on Wednesday and lasting through the weekend.
On the warm side of the storm, there’s the potential for heavy precipitation throughout the Tennessee Valley and into the mid-Atlantic that could cause problems on Thanksgiving Day.
While more rain is expected along the I-95 corridor, concerns are starting to grow that heavy snow could significantly impact travel on Thanksgiving Day and after the holiday.
“We’re just going to all have to sort of grin and bear it,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said.
“It’s really the timing for the most part. This is weather that you’re used to going through during the winter months.”
The FOX Forecast Center says there is an increasing likelihood that those in the Northeast who were impacted by last week’s winter storm will face another significant snowstorm, particularly from Thanksgiving Day into Black Friday.
Forecasters said this brewing storm and its impacts will likely linger into next weekend and could affect travel, whether by car or airplane.
Additionally, the season’s first heavy lake-effect snow event could also occur in the Great Lakes region by next weekend and early next week.
“The changeover is the fact that this is the day after Thanksgiving and we have a lot of folks that will be traveling,” Merwin continued.
“And when you take inconvenient weather on a big travel day, it can equal a big headache.”
Bitter blast of cold weather
It’s not only the snow and rain that could make those return trips home disappointing.
The FOX Forecast Center expects some of the coldest air of the season to invade the US from Canada in the days after Thanksgiving and into the start of December.
Below-average temperatures are expected across a large swath of the US, with parts of the northern Plains expected to plunge maybe as far as -10 degrees.
And if you factor in the wind chill, it may feel even colder.
Be sure to download the free FOX Weather app and enable notifications to be alerted to any changes in the forecast that could impact your travel plans.
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