As millions of Americans begin their journey for the holidays, stormy weather forecast across the U.S. this weekend could impede their efforts.
Delays were already reported at airports across the country, with the majority at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Nearly 120 million people will travel over the year-end holidays, according to AAA. Of those, nearly 90 percent will drive and a record number of air travelers are expected to take to the skies this year.
AAA said that this year’s domestic travel projection narrowly surpasses the previous record set in 2019. This year, the organization expects an additional three million travelers compared to last year.
“This year, with Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, we’re anticipating record-breaking travel numbers the weekend before and the weekend after the holiday,” Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel, said in a statement.
A large portion of the nation will see some of the coldest air of the year, with temperatures plummeting over the weekend in the northern states and along the East Coast.
“The air will be cold for much of the Midwest but probably a few degrees higher than what has already occurred in recent weeks,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Larson said in a statement.
Snow and rain are also expected to fall across large swaths of the U.S.
The West Coast will see some rain and both rain and snow could fall over the northern Intermountain West by Saturday. The area was largely dry and mild on Friday.
This comes as more snow is forecast over parts of the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and the Northeast.
Snow showers were expected Friday afternoon at higher elevations in the North Carolina mountains near the Tennessee border. Some places could see between four to six inches.
Lake effect and lake-enhanced snow are forecast near the Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes, the Appalachians, the Mid-Atlantic, and New England on Friday and Saturday.
Winter weather advisories are in effect for portions of Michigan and the southern Appalachians.
Michigan will continue to see scattered snow showers on Friday after inches brought poor travel conditions on Thursday.
Snow over Illinois brought tricky travel conditions on Friday, including in the Chicago area. Snow likely wouldn’t stick around though, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
To the east, New York City saw some of its first snow of the season late Friday morning, following a rainy few days. Although, the likelihood of a White Christmas in the Big Apple is low. Other parts of the state, however, have a solid chance of seeing up to an inch when they wake up on Christmas Day.
In New England, snow was already falling on Friday morning and a winter weather advisory was in effect. Parts of eastern Massachusetts could see between two and four inches of snow, resulting in a slippery, late-day commute, forecasters warned.
Boston, which has only had a white Christmas two times since 2000, might be luckier this year, according to CBS Boston.
Any snow falling in the next couple of days is likely to stick around for a bit thanks to the cold air moving through ahead of Christmas, the station said.
For others dreaming of a White Christmas, it may come. More people will see a snowy Christmas in 2024 compared to last year, according to AccuWeather.
Snow in the Rocky Mountains was a “guarantee,” the media forecasting company said.
“The cold sticks with us at the start of Christmas week, but then it warms up as we head towards the middle of the week on Christmas,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
