Historic storm could affect Thanksgiving travel

AAA says that 49.3 million Americans are going to pack into their vehicles this Thanksgiving and hit the road. Depending on where they’re driving in the country, severe weather could hamper efforts to go home for the holiday.

Before you hit the road, here are some tips:

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Snow continues to fall after a blizzard struck overnight on November 27, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

ConEdison is warning customers in New York about high winds forecasted for the area.

The statement continues: “Con Edison crews are preparing to respond to any electric service problems caused by rain and strong gusting winds forecast to hit the region tonight and into Thanksgiving Day.” 

The power company is urging customers to stay away from downed wires. “Do not try to touch or move them,” they say. “Call Con Edison and/or your local police department if you see downed wires.”

Travelers arrive at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Wednesday.

Due to low clouds, air traffic arriving in San Francisco International Airport is already starting to see delays. Arriving flights are likely to be delayed an average of 39 minutes, says the Federal Aviation Administration. 

Meanwhile, there are delays mounting in Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Newark because of wind and the volume of planes arriving.

And delays over an hour continue for those traveling to Minneapolis due to snow.

And more delays are planned for today, according to the FAA. They are….

Other delays likely to be issued today include…

The Minnesota’s Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport is reporting 35 cancellations and 100 delays on Wednesday morning, following overnight snowfall. 

“We are in pretty good shape. We were fortunate that most of the snow fell during the overnight hours when few flights are scheduled,” Patrick Hogan, director of corporate communications at the Metropolitan Airports Commission, said.

By early this morning, all three major runways were open. 

Flying can be a stressful travel experience by itself. Holiday air travel, compounded with bad weather, can make it just about unbearable.

Here’s some tips to keep in mind before you head to the airport.

575 flights within, into, or out of the United States have been delayed this morning, according to Flight Aware, a digital aviation company that tracks flight changes.

Strong winds and heavy snow are expected to complicate Thanksgiving travel for millions of Americans. A record high of 31.6 million passengers will travel on US airlines during the Thanksgiving holiday period, according to a forecast by Airlines For America, a US airline trade organization. 

96 flights in the United States have been cancelled entirely today.

See a map of the flight delays below:

About 31.6 million passengers are expected to travel this Thanksgiving by plane, according to an Airlines for America forecast. Many across the country will be doing it as two storms, including a bomb cyclone, bear down on a large part of the US.

Today will be the second busiest day of flying for the year, with about 2.98 million people in transit.

But even more people — 3.1 million — will fly this Sunday. That’s expected to be the busiest day of flying ever in the US.

People walk past snow-covered cars parked as a plow clears roadways at Denver International Airport on November 26, 2019 in Denver, Colorado.

An estimated 20 million people may face brutal weather as they travel this Thanksgiving, but they won’t be alone.

Here are five notable storms, starting with the Great Appalachian Storm in 1950 through the Thanksgiving Day storm that hit New York just 5 years ago.

November 24-25, 1950: The Great Appalachian Storm

During Thanksgiving weekend in 1950, a storm rolled into the Appalachian Mountains bringing piles of snow with it. Coburn Creek, West Virginia got 62 inches of snow, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The storm is considered one of the worst wind events ever recorded: Winds gusted up to 160 mph on Mount Washington, New Hampshire, and 160 people died in the storm by the time it was over.

November 24-25, 1971: Thanksgiving Snowstorm

Albany, New York took a major punch on Thanksgiving 1971. The area accumulated 22.5 inches of snow — the greatest November snowfall on record. Up to 30 inches of snow was reported in the Catskills and across the Upper Hudson Valley, according to the NWS.

November 26-27, 1983, The Great Thanksgiving Weekend Blizzard

This infamous snowstorm covered Denver in more than 20 inches of snow in just 37 hours, according to the NWS. Wind speeds reached up to 36 mph and temperatures fell into the teens and low 20’s across the area.

November 23, 1989: Thanksgiving Day Storm

This white Thanksgiving storm dropped nine inches of snow over Long Island, New York and up to 14 inches in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It started in the Carolinas and then blanketed the Mid-Atlantic Coast and New England in heavy snow, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

November 26-27, 2014: Thanksgiving Day Storm

A nor’easter was the culprit of this Thanksgiving storm in 2014. In Albany, New York, 10.4 inches of snow fell making it one of the greatest November snowstorms on record for that area, according to the NWS.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento, California, says parts of the state’s Sierra Nevada mountain range could see up to 18 inches of snow through Thanksgiving.

The snow and potential blizzard conditions could make travel across the state dangerous. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says Interstate 80, around Donner Pass, California, has already seen a number of accidents.

Despite winter weather, the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport is “open and operating” this morning, the airport said in a tweet.

The average delay at the airport is 64 mins, according to the FAA. 

Between 6 and 10 inches of snow have fallen around the city.