"As millions travel for Thanksgiving, an Arctic outbreak introduces dangerously cold temperatures, heavy snowfall, and thunderstorms, resulting in significant travel disruptions across the country."
"Thanksgiving Weather Chaos: Arctic Cold and Storms Disrupt Travel Plans"
"Thanksgiving Weather Chaos: Arctic Cold and Storms Disrupt Travel Plans"
"An Arctic blast hits the US during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, causing flight delays and severe weather warnings across multiple states."
An Arctic chill has gripped the United States, coinciding with the Thanksgiving holiday's peak travel days. According to forecasters, including BBC's Elizabeth Rizzini, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns of "dangerously cold wind chills" affecting the northern Plains. Severe weather threatens to create travel woes with heavy snow expected in regions like Maine, New York state, and the northern Appalachians, while thunderstorms may roll across the East Coast, particularly in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
As travel demand hits record levels, disruptions in air travel are already evident, with over 4,500 flight delays and around 61 cancellations logged on Wednesday alone by FlightAware. Currently, the TSA anticipates screening nearly nine million passengers at airports during peak days leading up to Thanksgiving and into the holiday weekend. A record of nearly 80 million Americans are expected to embark on road trips of at least 50 miles, spurred by lower gas prices.
On the West Coast, travelers face additional challenges with dense fog warnings affecting the Pacific Northwest and California, alongside freezing fog conditions in parts of Oregon and Washington. Earlier snowstorms have already hit the region, complicating travel plans further.
Amidst preparations for events like the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in New York, communities impacted by last week’s bomb cyclone continue to recover from severe flooding and power outages. The cyclone produced an intense weather event resulting from rapid drops in air pressure near the coast. In Central California, another "atmospheric river" is already leading to more precipitation challenges, signaling a tumultuous holiday season not just for travelers, but for entire regions of the United States.
