Tag Archives: travel conditions

Christmas Travel: Winter Storm Warnings in Northeast brings White Christmas and slick travel

National Weather Service weather map for Friday, December 22nd

By Kami Klein

Christmas is the most traveled part of the year with an estimated 107.3 million travelers nationwide from December 23rd to January 1st according to the American Automobile Association. Weather conditions play a major role in getting your family where you want to be.  This Christmas weekend getting to Grandma’s house will have some challenges with a winter storm system blowing across the United States bringing a variety of weather conditions.

If you are headed anywhere in the Northeast be prepared for delays from snow and ice which will make road travel difficult and most likely cause some flight delays.  On the plus side it’s perfect weather for Santa’s sleigh!

Winter storm warnings have been posted for parts of upstate New York and northern New England.  For the rest of New England, northern Pennsylvania, New York State and much of lower Michigan, a winter weather advisory has been issued.  

Heavy rainfall and flooding in the lower Mississippi and Tennessee valleys will last into early Saturday while,low humidity and offshore winds will continue to result in elevated-to-critical fire weather conditions across southern California through at least Monday. Dry air continues to be dominant in California.  

In the Central states, lingering snow may occur from the upper Mississippi Valley into the Great Lakes. Rain and thunderstorms will be possible for the middle/lower Mississippi Valley to central Texas with some freezing drizzle/freezing rain that may occur in parts of Oklahoma.  

The West will see a new weather system arriving that will bring snow and gusty winds to the northern Rockies and Northwest which will make poor driving conditions in some areas.  Rain showers will be possible along the Interstate 5 corridor from Seattle to Portland, Oregon.  

Flight delays will be possible for the following airports for Pre-Christmas travel:  

Atlanta, Cincinnati, Boston, Memphis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston,  St. Louis.  Portland and Seattle. New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Denver will be most affected by weather delays on Saturday evening into Sunday.  Chicago O’Hare, Cleveland and Detroit  will be on the lookout for flight delays all day on Sunday (Christmas Eve)  

Be sure to stay tuned to your local weather stations for current weather conditions, be patient and have a safe and wonderful Christmas!  

 

Sources :  http://www.weather.gov/          http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2017/12/19/christmas-travel-2017/964422001/       http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd    https://www.wunderground.com/

 

 

Snow, cold to sweep across U.S. Northeast ahead of arctic blast

Person walking in high snow

(Reuters) – A snowstorm that pummeled the Midwest and grounded hundreds of flights will sweep across the U.S. Northeast on Monday, creating tough travel conditions ahead of the season’s first arctic blast, forecasters said.

The cold front that dumped more than 10 inches (25 cm) of snow on northern Illinois has prompted winter storm warnings and advisories as it also brings sleet and rain to New England and parts of the Middle Atlantic states, the National Weather Service said.

Accuweather, a private forecaster, said three to six inches (7.5 to 15 cm) of snow was expected to snarl travel in northern New York and New England. Local accumulations could be higher.

Conditions were expected to improve late on Monday as the system moves through the region. FlightAware, which tracks air travel, said 190 U.S. flights had been canceled on Monday after 1,800 were grounded on Sunday, mostly at Chicago’s two main airports.

The National Weather Service said another arctic air mass would spread over the northern Great Plains and Midwest in the next couple of days and then head east.

In the Northeast, “the cold weather will be more significant as we get into Thursday,” weather service meteorologist Brian Hurley said.

Accuweather said high temperatures would be in the single digits F (-17 to -12 C) to just below zero F (-18 C) from the Dakotas through Minnesota and Wisconsin as the cold air grips the region.

(Reporting By Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Meredith Mazzilli)

Traveling this Thanksgiving? Here’s the weather to watch out for!

Thanksgiving weekend forecast map

Be ready to snuggle up, watch a little football, get out the board games and enjoy Thanksgiving with the family!  Much of the country will be dealing with a wet and sometimes snowy mess for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend especially in the Northern and Northeast parts of the country.  There will be some wet and wintry travel spots from coast to coast so be sure that you take it slow and listen to local forecasts along the way to Grandma’s house!  

Snow and ice accumulations are expected to be light in most of the country where winter weather is a factor but with the amount of people on the roads this holiday, any wet or snowy conditions are hazardous.  

The National Weather Service reports that today’s current storm located now in the center of the country will be spreading rain and snow across the Upper Midwest and is forecasted to move into the Northeast by the evening and early Thanksgiving morning, according to the National Weather Service.  

Although wintry weather will expand from northern Pennsylvania and New York on Wednesday night  and into parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire on Thursday, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is expected to proceed under cloudy and damp conditions.  

A significant winter storm over the Great Basin will impact much of the state of Wyoming where there will be white out conditions and ground blizzards expected in some counties.

Possible Airports that could be impacted for the long holiday weekend are: JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, and San Francisco, mostly due to low clouds and rain.

Be sure to stay up to date with your local forecasts!  Drive carefully, respect the weather conditions and have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!