WASHINGTON – This week has the potential to bring a wave of messy weather across the United States as travelers hit the roads and airports ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The National Weather Service is predicting “messy Thanksgiving travel” in the eastern US with a mix of rain and snow in some areas. The disruptions come during what historically has been the busiest travel days of the year in the US.
Rain and snow are also expected in the Pacific Northwest, which is still recovering after a large storm killed two people last week.
Temperatures are expected to drop across most of the country.
The east coast will see the worst weather toward the end of the week and closer to the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday.
A low pressure system is expected to bring rain across the eastern seaboard.
It could also bring snow to higher elevations and colder states in the north-east, including Maine and New Hampshire.
The south-east is also expecting rain on Thursday and a cold front.
In the midwest and Great Lakes region, there’s a possibility for heavy lake-effect snow by the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Even the western US won’t be spared wet weather.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning until Wednesday for California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range. The worst of the storm will hit on Tuesday.
Heavy snow is expected for higher elevations with wind gusts as high as 81 kph.
Snow-covered roads and travel delays are likely with “very difficult travel” expected above 5,500 ft, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, central California is expecting another atmospheric river event on Tuesday after experiencing a similar one last week.
And in the Pacific Northwest, communities are still recovering after last week’s bomb cyclone, an intense weather event that takes place when air pressure quickly drops off the coast.
The storm caused mass flooding and power outages for hundreds of thousands of people.
The affected areas could face even more wet weather this week.
The National Weather Service is predicting a low pressure system that will cause costal rain for Washington, Oregon and California.
Around 80 million Americans will travel at least 80 km from their home over the holiday, according to insurance company AAA. Around 71 million will travel by car, partly due to petrol prices that are lower than they were during the Thanksgiving holiday last year, AAA says.
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which provides security at US airports, predicts that the busiest day to fly will be on Sunday, 1 December, when people are returning home.
The agency is preparing to screen over three million passengers that day. (BBC)
