As the holiday season approaches, a record number of travelers are expected to face disruptions due to winter weather conditions. With over 119 million people projected to travel at least 50 miles from their homes between Saturday and New Year’s Day, multiple storm systems will bring snowfall, rain, and cold temperatures to major metropolitan areas across the country.
Winter Storms Threaten Holiday Travel Plans
Record Number of Travelers Expected to Face Delays
As Christmas approaches, a record number of people are expected to travel across the country, but winter storms may cause delays.
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119 million travelers: AAA projects that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their homes between Saturday and New Year’s Day.
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40 million passengers: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen nearly 40 million people between now and January 2, with the busiest days expected to be Friday, December 27, and December 30.
Storms Impact Major Metropolitan Areas
A storm that moved through the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest earlier this week will continue to impact the Northeast into Saturday, bringing:
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Snowfall: a few inches of snow for interior portions of the Northeast and a chance of rain and light snow for major metropolitan areas.
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Cold temperatures: the coldest temperatures of the season to parts of the East over the weekend.
Travelers Face Challenging Conditions
Travelers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport have already experienced ground stops due to snow and ice, while Chicago O’Hare International Airport was put under a 45-minute ground stop early Friday morning.
Multiple Storm Systems Impact West Coast
As one storm moves off the East Coast, another is set to begin hitting the West Coast, bringing:
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Rainfall: chances from San Francisco to Seattle.
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Snowfall and rain: higher elevation snowfall and valley rain through the Rockies and eventually into the Midwest and Great Lakes.
Second Storm System Expected
A second western storm will follow in the footsteps of the first and move onshore Christmas Eve, bringing:
- Higher elevation snowfall and valley rain: across the West Coast Tuesday before moving into the Intermountain West Wednesday and heading into the Central US by Thursday.
