Winter storms set to blast millions with rain, snow ahead of early Thanksgiving travel

Powerful storm systems sweeping across the U.S. this week have the potential to pack a punch with snow, rain and strong winds expected to lead to treacherous travel just as millions of people finalize Thanksgiving travel plans.

One of the storm systems is well underway and bringing widespread rain and some snow to portions of the northern tier of the country and Upper Midwest after first triggering rounds of severe weather in the central and southern Plains on Monday.

There is still a little more than a week until the peak of Thanksgiving travel, but some people have decided to hit the roads and pack airports early hoping to beat the holiday rush. That’s because AAA said a potentially record-breaking 80 million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles from home this year.

THANKSGIVING TRAVEL COULD BREAK RECORDS THIS YEAR BUT EXTREME WEATHER COULD SNARL PRE-HOLIDAY TRAFFIC

Plowable snow possible in Upper Midwest

The storm pushing through the Upper Midwest on Tuesday will pull in colder air in from Canada, which will allow the rain to begin the transition to winter weather.

“It actually could be plowable snow, too, for the Upper Midwest,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Stephen Morgan said. “So, we’ll see how this all plays out.”

The good news is this isn’t expected to be the blockbuster snow event that we’ve seen with previous storms.

“It was never going to be a widespread snow by any means,” Morgan continued. “But it’s really just the first now, which is a significant component to winter in the Upper Midwest and the High Plains.”

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Winter weather alerts have been issued across most of North Dakota, including Winter Storm Warnings for cities such as Minot, Bottineau and Devils Lake.

The National Weather Service office in Bismarck, North Dakota, said heavy snow and blowing snow are expected in areas included in the Winter Storm Warning.

Snow totals between 4 and 7 inches could fall there, and winds could gust as high as 50 mph, according to the NWS.

“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” forecasters warned.

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Snow totals across the northern tier of the U.S. and Upper Midwest will range from a dusting in parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota to a foot or more in parts of North Dakota closest to the border with Canada.

Millions in mid-Atlantic, Northeast to be blasted by powerful storm

This graphic provides an overview of powerful storms moving across the U.S. this week.

(FOX Weather)

After the storm impacting the Midwest begins to wind down during the middle of the week, a second storm will rapidly strengthen and impact millions of people in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the powerful low-pressure system will likely form in the Ohio River Valley and Great Lakes and quickly strengthen Wednesday.

As the storm center drifts into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast at the end of this week, strong winds are expected to blow in cold air, supporting snow from parts of the Great Lakes region to the Ohio Valley.

The cold air will likely be on the southern side of the storm and blow into the Appalachian Mountains.

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The NWS office in Charleston, West Virginia, said heavy snow is possible in the higher elevations, which could impact travel. Strong wind gusts could also bring down tree branches, leading to power outages.

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for portions of West Virginia, including Elkins.

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While interior portions of the Northeast and New England could be cold enough to support some snow in the higher elevations, only a few inches are expected to fall, if any. 

A majority of the region, especially in major cities along the Interstate 95 corridor from Philadelphia through New York City, New Haven, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, will likely see only rain.

Most locations that do see snow could pick up 1-3 inches, with higher totals in the Appalachian Mountains where a foot of snow could fall with locally higher amounts.