Severe weather in the United States threatens Thanksgiving travel

A severe weather system is expected to sweep across the United States as Americans gather for Thanksgiving during one of the busiest holiday weeks of the year.

After dumping rain and snow on the West Coast over the weekend, a cross-country storm is heading toward the East Coast where it is expected to unleash heavy rain, wind and snow on major travel hubs this week, including Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington. , DC and New York.

The storm was expected to hit the Chicago area Monday evening, with moderate rain beginning around 10 p.m. ET. Moderate rain was expected to begin in Atlanta and Charlotte early Tuesday around 4 a.m. ET; in Washington, DC at 10 a.m. ET; and in New York at 5 p.m. ET.

The heaviest rain on the Interstate 95 travel corridor — one of the busiest in the country — is expected to begin after 8 p.m. ET Tuesday evening and continue until about 6 a.m. ET Wednesday morning. Flash flooding is possible along I-95, so those driving to reach their Thanksgiving destinations should use extreme caution.

Atlanta and Charlotte are at marginal risk of damaging winds on Tuesday. These locations can expect rain for much of the day as well as sometimes strong wind gusts, making airport delays almost certain.

The most significant airport delays and worst road conditions are expected on Tuesday due to severe weather.

At least five tornadoes were reported in Louisiana and Mississippi overnight Monday into Tuesday morning.

A few tornadoes are possible Tuesday in southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, mainly in the morning and afternoon. The potential for locally damaging winds and a few brief tornadoes will move farther north and east Tuesday afternoon through early Wednesday across most of Georgia, the Carolinas and the far South. Virginia.

Snow is expected to begin falling in northern New England Tuesday afternoon and continue through Wednesday evening. Six to 12 inches of snowfall is forecast for parts of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Temperatures on Thanksgiving morning – Thursday – are expected to be in the 20s and 30s for the majority of the United States. These cold temperatures are expected to persist through the holiday weekend, marking the first bitter cold of the season.