A winter storm that pounded California’s Sierra Nevada mountains with snow is expected to move east and impact the Colorado Rockies and potentially the Appalachians on Thanksgiving Day, causing travel disruptions for millions of Americans. Denver, a major travel hub, may experience delays due to a couple of inches of snow. The storm’s track and intensity will determine the type of precipitation and snowfall amounts in the Midwest and Northeast, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Bernie Rayno. Cold temperatures will add to the havoc, with about 196 million Americans waking up to below-freezing temperatures by Saturday morning. Temperatures will be more typical of mid-January in many locations by the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm comes at a critical time as the nation faces some of the busiest travel days of the year. AAA predicts a record 79.9 million people will travel 50 miles or more from their homes for Thanksgiving, an increase of 1.7 million from last year. The Transportation Security Administration expects to see its busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record, estimating agents will screen 18.3 million people from Tuesday through December 2.
In Colorado, heavy snow showers are expected to blanket the Rockies and Intermountain West this week, with up to 4 feet of snow in some areas. Winter weather advisories are in effect for parts of central and southern Colorado. Rainfall in the Denver metro area and Palmer Divide is expected to transition to snow on Tuesday.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com
