News Beat
Winter storm alerts: Risk of Thanksgiving travel chaos with snow across the Midwest and southern flooding
Thanksgiving travel is well under way as flooding and storms risk upending plans, with more than 5,000 flights delayed or canceled across the country Monday and Tuesday so far.
Around 82 million people are on the move with the busiest days expected Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday and into Monday.
This holiday travel period is expected to be the busiest in nearly 15 years, the Federal Aviation Administration warned, with more than 360,000 flights booked this week. Some 52,000 of those flights are scheduled Tuesday.
Across the U.S., weather is already impacting travel plans, with massive thunderstorms hitting the South, and snow covering roadways in the Intermountain West and Midwest. At least 73 million – or nearly 90 percent of Thanksgiving travelers – are expected to make journeys by road, according to AAA.
“That number could end up being higher if some air travelers decide to drive instead of fly following recent flight cancellations,” the non-profit cautioned.
The South
Stormy weather moved from Texas to the east Tuesday, over Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
“Isolated severe storms are possible across parts of the Southeast/Deep South this morning into the early evening hours. A couple of tornadoes are possible in parts of eastern Mississippi and central Alabama,” the National Weather Service said.
Flash flood warnings were issued around the city of Huntsville. Flooding was already happening in the area of Buck’s Pocket State Park, according to AL.com.
“There is a low chance for strong to severe storms on Tuesday between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” The National Weather Service’s Huntsville Office posted on social media. “The main hazards are damaging winds, large hail, and a very low chance of a tornado or two. Locally heavy rainfall is also forecast with the heaviest occurring overnight tonight.”
More than 42,000 homes in Alabama were without power Tuesday, according to tracker PowerOutage.US.
The hazards came after a tornado ripped across neighborhoods in Houston, Texas, leaving a trail of damaged homes and fallen trees.
The Midwest and Great Lakes
Forecasters in Minnesota said that a weather system had the potential to dump up to nine inches of snow from Tuesday through Wednesday.
“In life, it’s said, timing is everything. And with an army of Minnesotans hitting the road for the Thanksgiving holiday, the approach of a fairly significant winter storm system is poor timing indeed,” KARE 11 said.
Officials at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport urged travelers to arrive earlier than normal due to the expected crowds, according to KSTP.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission expects to screen 441,000 people through security checkpoints between Thursday and December 1, according to CBS News, with the busiest days between Wednesday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, a low-pressure system is expected to track northeastward into the lower Great Lakes by Tuesday night. Lower Michigan is set to see lake-effect snow on Thanksgiving, with up to a foot or more blowing between now and Thanksgiving morning.
Winter storm watches are in effect, and winds may gust up to 45 miles per hour, making travel dangerous.
“Travel could be very difficult to impossible,” the National Weather Service said in the storm watch alert. “Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches. Snowfall may start accumulating as soon as early Tuesday afternoon.”
As much as six inches of snow could fall in North Dakota. “If you’re planning on traveling Tuesday, be prepared for snow-covered roads and rapidly changing visibility due to falling and blowing snow,” Bismarck forecasters said.
In Chicago, forecasters advised travelers about blowing snow and strong wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour. More than 140 flights were already delayed at O’Hare airport by the early afternoon, according to the tracker FlightAware.
“Wind-whipped snow showers and flurries will accompany the winds, resulting in brief poor visibility,” the National Weather Service’s Chicago Office wrote.
The East
Areas from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic could see rain Tuesday, with precipitation moving over New England by Wednesday morning. Some scattered thunderstorms are also anticipated up and down the East Coast, with the arrival of a cold front.
“The cold front will bring periods of rain and gusty winds to the Northeast, which could cause some delays at major airport hubs in Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C. and New York City while some rain will linger across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic,” FOX Weather said.
AccuWeather forecasters said winds in New York City could reach up to 30mph, potentially affecting the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s main attraction: massive balloons that can span up to 100ft tall. The balloons don’t fly with sustained winds up to 23mph and gusts up to 35mph.
In the Southeast, it won’t be iguana-falling cold, but low temperatures in Florida will approach freezing late Thursday and into the weekend, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Florida and Georgia will also see some rainy weather and the National Weather Service in Atlanta sounded the alarm about a potential tornado hazard Tuesday.
FlightAware showed more than 300 flight delays at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport today.
The West
Snow fall will wind down over Colorado, Wyoming and Montana between Tuesday and Wednesday, with winter weather advisories issued across all three states.
Cameras in Missoula and Pubelo, Colorado, showed roads buried in heavy snow.
Farther west, an atmospheric river is anticipated to drench the Pacific Northwest, possibly leading to flooding in Washington state and Oregon.
“The first round of heavy rain looks to target western Washington and northwestern Oregon starting late Tuesday and Tuesday night,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
As much as two inches of snow could fall across areas from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, the forecasting site predicted, with other areas seeing as many as four inches.
“The heavy rain from the atmospheric river will likely slow travel on Interstate 5 leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Pydynowski.
