Cross-country storm spans over 1,500 miles as Thanksgiving travel woes continue

A powerful storm system is moving across the U.S., bringing rain, high winds, snow and severe storms to over 30 states.

The sprawling storm is expected to make travel difficult. Whether you are among the 55.4 million Americans traveling by road or air, you can rely on the FOX Forecast Center to provide you with all the information you need before you embark on your journey.

Tuesday

Millions of travelers planning to travel across the East for Thanksgiving may face disruptions due to widespread rain expected Tuesday.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, a 1,545-mile storm system stretching from Florida to Maine will cause travel impacts. 

Tuesday is expected to be the worst day for Thanksgiving travel, and travelers are advised to take necessary precautions and check with their airlines for any updates or changes in their travel plans.

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“The earlier flights are going to have an easier time, and that’s usually what we see. But this day, the weather is a big part of that,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “The weather is going to be tougher to deal with, and also the crowds are going to be tougher to deal with as we work our way through the remainder of today.”

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While the main system moves into the Ohio Valley, a secondary system from Canada will dive south, providing an extra boost to the ongoing storm. This will allow for snow to break out across the Great Lakes, with mostly rain elsewhere in the Northeast, the FOX Forecast Center said.

This storm originated in the Pacific Ocean, but due to limited cold air, any winter weather outside the Great Lakes will only affect the highest elevations in the interior Northeast.

Along the Interstate 95 corridor, the rain is expected to develop by Tuesday evening and continue into Wednesday morning. The rain will be heavy at times.

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Some severe weather is also possible in the Southeast on Tuesday, but widespread significant severe storms are not expected.

“We had some stormy weather further across the Gulf Coast yesterday (Monday),” Merwin said. “We’ll continue to see, unfortunately, this trend continues, I think.”

FALL IS THE SECOND SEVERE WEATHER SEASON

Wednesday

As the storm system continues to move east, a secondary area of low pressure will likely form along the East Coast near the Jersey Shore early Wednesday. 

This new low will greatly enhance the wind impacts for the coastal regions as it works its way up to the coast before moving out to sea, the FOX Forecast Center said.

Heavy rain is likely for most of the Interstate 95 corridor on Wednesday morning, with clearing expected by the afternoon. New England could see lingering impacts as the low scrapes the coast, but the worst weather should wrap up by the evening. 

Snow is also possible from the Adirondacks of New York into portions of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The snow will be falling ahead of the rain, so there is a chance there will not be much accumulation due to the rain falling after the snow has fallen, the FOX Forecast Center said.

Thanksgiving

Thursday is expected to be mostly dry across the country, with the main potential for rain focused in East Texas, Louisiana and parts of the northern Gulf Coast.

This is not expected to be super impactful, but it could put a damper on Thanksgiving, the FOX Forecast Center said.

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However, according to some computer forecast models, a potential downside to this rain is a weak area of low pressure that may develop offshore south of Louisiana. This may result in bouts of heavy rain for cities like New Orleans, Biloxi in Mississippi and Mobile in Alabama, but it is still too early to determine the exact extent of the impacts.

Looking ahead, the next storm will begin to slide over the Rockies, bringing snow to Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. This could create challenging driving conditions for anyone traveling on Thanksgiving Day. 

Black Friday

On Black Friday, the storm system over the Rockies will drop more snow over the region and also spread south into Utah and Colorado, including the Denver metro area. Snow could also extend farther east into portions of the central Plains.

Elsewhere in the country, a few rain showers are possible in parts of the South, while most other areas should enjoy dry weather for shopping.