Weekend storm threatens to snarl Thanksgiving travel
Airline travelers brace for delays as they head home from Thanksgiving; Jacqui Heinrich reports from LaGuardia Airport in New York.
A major storm is bringing heavy snow and high winds to a significant portion of the country from Kansas to Chicago that could make it more difficult for travelers heading home this Thanksgiving weekend.
The National Weather Service is predicting blizzard-like conditions in some places.
"Dangerous travel conditions caused by heavy snow and reduced visibility are expected to end the holiday weekend," NWS said, according to USA Today.
Chicago is bracing for heavy snow Sunday afternoon that could cause flight delays and cancellations at O'Hare International Airport, a major hub.
"The combination of extra moisture from Lake Michigan, colder air and strong winds may lead to whiteout conditions and a rapid accumulation of snow in Chicago during the second half of the storm," AccuWeather meteorologist Steve Travis said, the paper reported.
The snow could also have an impact on travelers into and out of airports in Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, USA Today reported.
The storm could also bring snow to parts of upstate New York and northern New England into Monday.
CYBER MONDAY SHOPPING STRATEGIES FOR NABBING GREAT DEALS
The Weather Channel reported that snow was falling Saturday in parts of the higher elevations of the West and in parts of the northern Plains.
Up to four inches of snowfall was reported as of early Saturday in Georgetown, Idaho and in Rosalia, Washington.
The combination of increasing winds, heavy snow and poor visibility will create blizzard conditions in some localities, AccuWeather reported around 11 a.m. Saturday.
Roads will become icy and snow-covered along much of the Interstate-80 corridor and portions of I-35, I-39, I-70, I-88, I-90, I-94 and I-196 in the region, AccuWeather reported.
AccuWeather said major cities that can expect at least a few inches of snow include: Topeka, Kansas; Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska; Des Moines and Davenport, Iowa; Kirksville and Kansas City, Milwaukee; Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan; Madison, Wisconsin; Missouri; and Rockford and Chicago.