Snow, Ice, And Flooding Threaten Christmas Travel Across U.S.

It may not be a white Christmas for most of the United States when people wake up to open gifts Thursday morning, but storms are forecast to dump snow and ice on parts of the Midwest and Northeast late Christmas Day and into the weekend. Meanwhile, Southern California faces flood risks on Christmas Eve and into Christmas.

Travelers in the Midwest and Northeast should exercise caution when traveling for Christmas and when heading home after the holiday. Much of New York, including New York City, New England, and northern Pennsylvania are expected to get anywhere between 1 to 12 inches of snow Thursday night into Friday, AccuWeather reported. The areas likely to see the most snow are southeastern New York and northeastern Pennsylvania, which are slated to get between 6 and 12 inches.

“This fast-moving storm will pack a punch in the Northeast right after Christmas. Holiday travelers should prepare for major slowdowns on roads and at airports,” said AccuWeather’s Senior Meteorologist, Tyler Roys.

Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Baltimore could also see a snow-rain mix.

Much of Michigan and Wisconsin are forecasted to get a snow-ice mix between Thursday and Saturday, with parts of eastern and mid-Michigan forecasted to get hit with a severe ice storm on Friday. Parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota could also be hit with ice or a wintry mix. Most of Ohio and parts of Indiana and northern Illinois, including Chicago, are expected to see rain. Thunderstorms are forecasted to hit central and southern Ohio, along with parts of northeastern Kentucky and western and northern parts of West Virginia, according to AccuWeather.

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The storm is expected to be New York City’s biggest snowfall of the year so far — between 3 and 6 inches — potentially causing travel disruptions for millions of people. ABC News reported that travelers should expect “treacherous commutes” on I-80, I-70, I-90, and I-95.

Southern California was hit with heavy rain on Wednesday, with the stormy weather expected to stick around until Friday, ABC 7 Los Angeles reported. The storm has sparked flood warnings, concerns about potential mudslides, and at least one tornado warning on Wednesday. The tornado warning, which was issued for parts of east-central Los Angeles County, was canceled at 10:40 a.m. local time, but the National Weather Service said that damaging winds would continue throughout the day.

The storm is expected to dump several inches on Southern California, and thousands of customers lost power on Wednesday.

Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Los Angeles, warned earlier this week, “If you’re planning to be on the roads for the Christmas holidays, please reconsider your plans.”