As the Thanksgiving travel week unfolds, the United States is facing a severe test of extreme weather. The Great Lakes region and its surrounding snow belts are experiencing the strongest lake-effect snowstorm of the season, bringing a white Thanksgiving to the Midwest, Great Lakes region, and western New York, along with possible risks from harsh weather. Meanwhile, the southern region is facing threats of tornadoes and continued heavy rain.
Due to the simultaneous occurrence of these two extreme weather systems during the Thanksgiving travel peak, holiday plans and travel safety for millions of Americans across the country will be directly affected.
A storm system sweeps through the southern United States, bringing destructive weather.
On Monday (November 24th), a tornado hit residential areas in the northern suburbs of Houston, damaging over 100 homes and causing power lines to collapse. Resident Miriam Harris told KTRK-TV that the winds were “very intense” at the time.
“I grabbed onto the door and tried to close it tightly to prevent anything from coming into the house (with the wind),” she said.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is surveying the worst-hit areas in the communities.
Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia are expected to experience multiple rounds of storms and showers. Heavy rain briefly disrupted air traffic control operations at Atlanta International Airport for about 10 minutes.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, a powerful winter storm is sweeping through the northern regions, bringing the most significant lake-effect snow of the season. Snowfall is expected to continue from Wednesday through Black Friday.
Fox Weather Service meteorologist Marc Chenard stated that snow is impacting “North Dakota, Minnesota, including Minneapolis, and parts of the northern Great Lakes.”
NWS has issued Winter Storm Watches for the areas where the snow belt is most concentrated, including Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and western New York. Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour are expected in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and downwind of the Great Lakes, leading to whiteout conditions with complete loss of visibility and dangerous driving conditions.
Regarding total snow accumulation, Chenard noted that although the snow belt is “fairly narrow, there will be significant snowfall around the lakes in Michigan and western New York.” Snowfall totals in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan could reach 2 to 3 feet (approximately 61 to 91 cm) by Friday in the Marquette area. Areas south of Buffalo in New York and other snow belt locations are expected to receive a foot or more of snow (about 30 cm or more).
The NWS Marquette office advises residents of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to “alter holiday plans and avoid travel on Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day (Thursday).”
White Thanksgiving spans multiple states:
Regions such as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and western New York are expected to see a foot or more of snow, creating a widespread “White Thanksgiving” area.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade:
In stark contrast to the severe weather in multiple states, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is expected to have dry, cold, and windy weather.
Subsequent impact:
Lake-effect snow is expected to continue until Friday. More winter weather may arrive in the Midwest and northern United States over the weekend.