Coast-to-coast winter storm packing heavy snow to cause chaos for Thanksgiving holiday travel

Millions of Americans across the US have started to pack the roads and airports ahead of Thanksgiving, but a powerful storm moving from coast to coast could snarl travel before the holiday and as people begin their journeys home after celebrating with family and friends.

The first half of the busy Thanksgiving travel week includes storms dumping rain and mountain snow in the West, while the eastern half of the country deals with rain, freezing rain and snow.

If that wasn’t enough to dampen the holiday spirit, the FOX Forecast Center is tracking another winter storm that could significantly impact travel in the Northeast as millions of people prepare to head home.

The FOX Forecast Center said that the last of a series of low-pressure systems is moving across the West Coast and into the Rockies, bringing winter weather and rain to the region.

A significant winter storm will bring heavy snow across portions of Colorado and Utah.

Winter Storm Warnings are in effect across the region in anticipation of snow totals that could reach up to 3 feet in the highest elevations, making travel extremely difficult, if not impossible, across mountain passes.

By Wednesday, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Denver could all see some form of precipitation.

However, the FOX Forecast Center doesn’t expect any major impacts in Denver at this time.

A Winter Weather Advisory does cover the Mile High City for variable snowfall totals up to 2-4 inches in spots on Wednesday morning, potentially snarling the morning commute.

Conditions could deteriorate on major highways like Interstate 25 and Interstate 70 before the system moves out of the region before Thanksgiving Day.

Winds dropped temperatures into the 20s across the Great Lakes. Some snow is possible on Thanksgiving in places like north-central Wisconsin. 

Winter Storm strengthens in East just in time for last-minute Thanksgiving travel

As if the pre-Thanksgiving travel troubles weren’t enough, the FOX Forecast Center is also tracking another winter storm on Thanksgiving Day that is expected to delay last-minute holiday travel, as well as for those shopping on Black Friday or starting their journeys back home.

This is all due to the winter storm that’s currently blasting the West. Wednesday’s weather across the East looks tranquil, but by Thursday, the system will be moving through the Midwest and Ohio Valley and into the Northeast.

The FOX Forecast Center expects a line of rain and thunderstorms to slide through the Southeast and Tennessee Valley on Thursday.

Some of those storms could turn severe with damaging wind gusts.

To the north, heavier rain is likely across portions of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast into Thursday night.

The FOX Forecast Center said the system will strengthen as it approaches the region, and winds could also begin to kick up and cause delays at airports in Washington, Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia.

Snow will break out from the Midwest to New England to the north of the low-pressure system.

Cold air will initially be limited as the system exits the Midwest, but as the low strengthens, it will pull in colder air from Canada.

The FOX Forecast Center said snow totals are expected to be light except for portions of the interior Northeast.

That’s where heavier snow could pile up across the region, particularly over the higher elevations.

Upstate New York, the Green Mountains in Vermont and the White Mountains in New Hampshire will all likely see snow as the low tracks offshore into Thursday night.

Cities in New York, such as Syracuse, Buffalo and Binghamton, will all likely get in on some accumulating snow, too.

And if heavy snow and storms weren’t enough to ruin the holiday, some of the coldest air of the season will infiltrate the US beginning on Thanksgiving and lasting through early next month.

As the Thanksgiving Day winter storm exits the Northeast, it will pull in even colder, arctic air from Canada, and it will extend to the south, potentially as far as the Southeast.

By Friday, over 230 million Americans will be shivering to below-average temperatures.