Nearly 82 million Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving this weekend, but a powerful winter storm is causing widespread disruption across the Midwest and Great Lakes region. More than 800 flights were delayed on Thursday morning alone, with northern states bearing the brunt of the delays.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, where heavy snowfall of six to ten inches is forecast from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening. Hazardous conditions are likely to affect travel on Friday night, the agency warned.
Colder air is expected to extend across the eastern half of the United States on Thursday, reaching as far south as Texas by Friday or Saturday, potentially sweeping away predicted thunderstorms. Meanwhile, most southern states will remain warm, although a storm system is anticipated near the Mississippi River valley on Saturday. In New England and the Pacific Northwest, rain and snow are forecast.
Airports have largely recovered from the recent government shutdown, which caused staffing shortages. The American Automobile Association (AAA) reported that around 82 million people are travelling by air and road this Thanksgiving weekend, while FlightAware tracked 6,630 delayed flights on Wednesday alone.
