Thanksgiving weekend weather: Brutal cold will hit much of the US as crippling lake-effect snow grips parts of New York state

CNN
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As millions of travelers prepare to head home after Thanksgiving, bitter Arctic air will soon blow across half of the U.S., while parts of the Great Lakes region will be buried in feet-deep snow.

Temperatures will drop 15 to 25 degrees across much of the eastern United States over the next few days, from Minnesota down to Texas.

“At the peak of the Arctic outbreak, minimum wind chill values ​​should fall below zero across much of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest,” the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said.

“Wind temperatures will be below -15 degrees across much of the Dakotas and Minnesota, with temperatures as low as -30 to -40 degrees in some parts of North Dakota. This increases the risk of hypothermia and frostbite on exposed skin. Have winter survival gear ready if you need to travel.”

For many, this winter storm will bring the coldest temperatures since mid-February. About 70% of the country will experience temperatures below freezing over the next few days. And temperatures in the central and eastern United States will be 10 to 25 degrees below normal over the weekend.

Freeze precautions are in effect for about 15 million people in states from Texas to South Carolina, with subfreezing temperatures expected Saturday morning.

Cold winds across the near-record warm Great Lakes will also usher in the first significant lake-effect snow event of the season.

“There will be local areas that will be paralyzed by the lake snow and some highways will also be severely affected,” the Buffalo National Weather Service said.

More than 6 million people are under the winter advisory and could see 6 to 12 inches of snow this weekend. The wintry blast could also dump up to 5 feet of snow in places like Buffalo and Watertown, New York.

“A persistent lake-effect snow event will bring several feet of snow to some areas east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario today into early next week,” the National Weather Service office in Buffalo said.

“There will be local areas that will be paralyzed by the lake snow and some highways will also be severely affected.”

Travel will be extremely difficult or impossible due to heavy snow on the roads and very poor visibility. The NWS urged people in the hardest-hit areas to postpone travel plans if possible.

“Travel disruptions are likely, particularly on I-90 between Cleveland and Buffalo and I-81 north of Syracuse,” the WPC warned.

However, no major weather-related travel nightmares are expected for the rest of the country this weekend.