Holiday travelers across the United States should prepare for significant weather-related disruptions this weekend, as major storm systems are forecast to bring snow, rain, and wind to key regions. The central U.S. is expected to face delays and hazardous road conditions on Saturday, with the adverse weather shifting to the East Coast on Sunday.
Thanksgiving Day
Potential Airport Impacts: Cleveland, Seattle, Portland (OR)
Heavy lake-effect snow and strong winds will create hazardous travel in the Great Lakes snowbelts. Localized whiteout conditions are possible along stretches of I-90 from Cleveland to Buffalo, I-81 near Syracuse, and I-94 and I-196 in western Michigan.
Simultaneously, Winter Storm Bellamy will begin to develop, bringing snow to the far northern Rockies and gusty showers to western Washington and Oregon.
Black Friday
Potential Airport Impacts: Dallas-Fort Worth (late), Kansas City (late)
Dangerous travel conditions will continue in the eastern Great Lakes due to persistent lake-effect snow, with additional snow showers possible in northern New England.
Winter Storm Bellamy will track eastward, spreading snow from Montana across the Northern Plains and into the upper Midwest by Friday night. The storm will affect the Dakotas, Iowa, southern Wisconsin, and western Illinois with snow-covered roads.
In the South, afternoon and evening thunderstorms are forecast from eastern Kansas to Texas and Louisiana. Heavy rainfall could cause nighttime flight delays at major hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth and Kansas City.
Saturday
Potential Airport Impacts: Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Louis
Winter Storm Bellamy is expected to cause widespread travel disruption across the Midwest. Snow will blanket the upper Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes, leading to slippery roads and significant flight delays, particularly at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The storm will move into the Ohio Valley and eastern Great Lakes by Saturday night.
Farther south, a line of thunderstorms with heavy rain and possible severe weather will stretch from Oklahoma and Texas to the lower Mississippi Valley. This system could trigger flash flooding in already saturated regions and cause flight delays in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.
Sunday
Potential Airport Impacts: Atlanta, Boston, Denver (late), Detroit, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C.
As Winter Storm Bellamy tracks into the eastern U.S., it is expected to cause significant travel delays for those returning home. While precipitation along the I-95 corridor will be primarily rain, major airport hubs from Boston to Washington, D.C., are likely to experience disruptions. Snow is possible in the interior Northeast, and lingering lake-effect snow could continue to affect travel in the Great Lakes snowbelts. Showers and isolated thunderstorms may also develop across the Southeast, from the Carolinas to the northern Gulf Coast.
Meanwhile, a separate system is forecast to bring snow to the central and southern Rockies, expanding into the High Plains of Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico by Sunday night.
