How snow and rain could hamper post-Thanksgiving travel for millions
Traveling after Thanksgiving may be a bit more turbulent than the days leading up to the holiday, with a cross-country storm forecast to bring widespread rain and snow to millions of Americans Friday through Sunday.
Here is a look at the weather forecast for Black Friday and this weekend.
Friday
On Friday afternoon, a new cross-country storm system will bring messy weather for millions of Americans who may be traveling from Thanksgiving, with winter weather alerts for regions across Idaho and Montana down to Indiana and Michigan.
Chicago and Milwaukee are both under a Winter Storm Warning from Friday night through early Sunday, as this cross-country storm moves into the Midwest for the first half of the weekend.
Parts of northern Michigan have already recorded more than a foot of snow, with areas of the Cleveland and Erie metro areas recording between 3 to 4 inches of snow.
A Lake Effect Snow Warning remains in place for multiple areas in upstate New York as well until Saturday, as 6 to 20 inches of additional snowfall are possible with wind gusts reaching up to 50 mph into Friday night.
The rest of the country remains dry and quiet for Black Friday.
Saturday
On Saturday, rain and showers are expected from Kansas and Missouri down to Louisiana and Texas, with 6 to over 12 inches of snow possible for areas in Nebraska to Michigan -- including major cities like Minneapolis, St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit.
With heavy snow and gusty winds, whiteout conditions and very dangerous travel conditions are likely across the Midwest.
In Chicago, snow will start around 6 a.m. Saturday and taper off until noon Sunday, leaving a possible 6 to 10 inches of snow.
In St. Louis, snowy precipitation will begin around 4 a.m. Saturday until that evening with 2 to 4 inches of snow possible.
Sunday
By Sunday afternoon and evening, this system will bring rain to much of the East Coast, especially the Northeast, with temperatures too warm for widespread snow causing rainy showers instead through Sunday evening.
Sunday is predicted to be the busiest air travel day for Thanksgiving, and anyone traveling along the I-95 corridor should try to travel earlier on Sunday or move their travel to Saturday to avoid the rain and slick roads, if possible.
