More than 2,500 flights to or from US airports were delayed through Sunday morning during the post-Thanksgiving travel rush as severe weather, including rain, high winds and snow, devastated the main cities.
Nearly 55 million people were expected to travel 50 miles or more from their homes this Thanksgiving weekend, “an increase of 1.5% over 2021 and 98% of pre-pandemic volumes,” according to AAA. In addition to the 2,564 delayed flights as of 2:30 p.m. ET, 63 US flights were cancelled, according to FlightAware.com.
Wind advisories were in effect Sunday for approximately 14 million people throughout the Ohio Valley and Southeast, including Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; and Asheville, North Carolina.
A 53 mph wind gust was reported early Sunday morning in Kentucky. Gusts for this afternoon will range between 25 and 35 mph.
On Sunday morning, rain battered the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes regions, threatening morning commutes from cities including Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Nashville, Tennessee. and Charlotte, North Carolina
This clump of rain will continue to move northeast, bringing the heaviest downpours to New York City, Washington, DC, and Boston early through mid-afternoon Sunday.
The rain will mostly end in the late afternoon and early evening in the Northeast, but a few scattered showers may persist late Sunday night into early Monday in parts of New England, and rain will change to snow in some parts. of northern Maine.
Storm totals will range from 0.5 to 1.25 inches of rain in the eastern third of the country.
Another developing storm system has continued to bring heavy rain in addition to snow to the mountains of the Pacific Northwest this weekend with winter weather watches and storms from Washington to Colorado, according to the weather service.
The heaviest snow Sunday will fall in parts of the Cascades and northern Rocky Mountains with totals generally ranging from 2 to 7 inches, but snow accumulation of 15 inches or more is possible for higher elevations and mountain passes. . There will also be quite a bit of wind, with gusts up to 65 mph possible, greatly reducing visibility and making travel dangerous.
Snow from this system will descend to the south on Monday, affecting Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. Snowfall totals will range from 6 to 12 inches, with higher localized amounts possible at higher elevations, according to the weather service. Wind gusts will also stay high in this region to start the week, with gusts around 30 to 50 mph.
Looking ahead, this storm system will bring an increased risk of severe weather to the mid-lower Mississippi Valley on Tuesday.
christina rap contributed.
