In brief
Thanksgiving travelers should brace for snow and cold temperatures as winter storm warnings are issued from Montana to New York. Illinois and Iowa will bear the brunt of the snowfall with potential snowfall totals exceeding one foot. While blizzard conditions aren’t expected, dangerous driving conditions are likely due to heavy snow and strong winds. The storm is forecasted to continue disrupting travel well into the holiday weekend.
Snow and chilly temperatures have already greeted some Thanksgiving travelers and plenty more could be on its way this holiday weekend, with winter storm warnings Saturday across much of the northern part of the country.The National Weather Service has extended storm warnings and advisories from Montana to New York. Snow was expected to start Friday and last throughout the weekend in some areas, particularly in Iowa and Illinois, where totals of six inches to a foot or more are predicted. Despite the incoming storm, meteorologists report that current forecast conditions do not reach blizzard criteria. The storm has already affected regions including the northern Plains and the Great Lakes, with significant snowfall expected by the end of the storm, especially near Lake Superior. More than a foot of snow is likely in parts of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. This weather could pose dangerous driving conditions due to expected snow squalls, particularly across eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois. Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, mixed rain and snow is expected. Saturday will bring the continuation of snow into the Midwest and the potential for heavy storms to the south.
