Christmas holiday travel is now in full swing, and the weather could lead to significant headaches both on the roads and in the air in parts of the country.
Monday
Overall, Monday looks like a fairly decent day to travel, weather-wise, across most of the country.
West:Bands of locally heavy rain could linger in Northern California, including the Bay Area, that could lead to flash flooding and landslides. Rain and Cascades snow should continue in Washington state and western Oregon. Valley rain, mountain snow and strong winds are expected in the northern Rockies that could make driving challenging, especially over mountain passes.
South:Just a few showers are possible in parts of the lower Mississippi Valley. They should just be a nuisance and shouldn't lead to major travel delays.
Midwest:Some light snow, possibly mixed with sleet or freezing rain, is expected in the Great Lakes, spreading east in the evening. This could lead to some slippery travel.
Potential weather-related flight delays: San Francisco, Seattle
Tuesday
This key travel day before Christmas Eve could have more weather headaches, both in the East and West.
East:Light snow, sleet or freezing rain will blanket parts of the Northeast. The most accumulations will be in northern New England and parts of central and upstate New York. However, areas from northern Pennsylvania to the New York City Tri-State area and southern New England could see some light accumulations that could make some roads slushy and slippery, especially early in the day. Otherwise, rain showers and some gusty winds are possible in the mid-Atlantic and Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.
West:A stronger storm will move into California with heavy rain and strong winds Tuesday night, first in Northern California, then spreading to Southern California overnight. Some rain and mountain snow from this system could also stream into parts of Oregon and Washington.
Potential weather-related flight delays: Boston, New York, San Francisco (late), Los Angeles (late)
Christmas Eve
By far the biggest travel weather headaches will be in the West, but there could be a sneaky travel headache in parts of the Midwest, too.
West:Areas of heavy rain will continue in California, including the L.A. Basin and San Diego. That rain could also extend into parts of the Great Basin and Desert Southwest, including the Las Vegas Valley, possibly as far east as Phoenix. Flash flooding is possible, particularly near recent wildfire-burned areas. Dangerous travel conditions are possible on Interstate 80 from San Francisco through the Sierra Nevada. Otherwise, rain and mountain snow is possible in parts of the Northwest and northern Rockies, again.
Central/East:Any precipitation in New England should end by midday. The only other thing that might be a travel weather headache is the potential for areas of low clouds, fog and light showers in parts of the Midwest as warmer, more humid air tries to move northward. This could lead to some flight delays at major hubs, especially in the morning.
Potential weather-related flight delays: L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago, Kansas City, Cincinnati
Christmas Day
The West, especially California, will continue to have challenging weather on the holiday.
West:Another potent Pacific storm could lash California with more heavy rain, strong winds and heavy Sierra snow. This valley rain, mountain snow and wind will eventually spread into the Northwest, Great Basin, Desert Southwest and Rockies.
Midwest, East:A little light snow could brush northern New England in the morning. Some light showers are possible in the Appalachians. Christmas night, some light freezing rain, sleet or snow could break out from North Dakota into northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Michigan, that could lead to slippery driving conditions.
Potential weather-related flight delays: L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago (low clouds)
Day After Christmas
The day after Christmas could lead to travel delays in parts of the Northeast and West.
Northeast, Great Lakes:Snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected to spread from the western Great Lakes into the Northeast. The map below shows areas most likely to see this wintry precipitation, which could be a bit farther south than Tuesday's event. This could lead to significant flight delays at the major Northeast hubs, especially in the afternoon and evening, as well as slippery roads.
West:The Pacific storm will gradually wind down, especially in Northern California. Rain showers, possibly heavy, will continue in Southern California, extending into the Desert Southwest. Snow, possibly heavy, will extend from the Sierra into the northern Great Basin, northern Rockies and parts of the Cascades. Expect potentially challenging winter driving conditions in these areas.
Potential weather-related flight delays: L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
Saturday
For the first time in several weeks, weather in the West will quiet down considerably. However, some travel concerns are possible in the central and East.
East:Some light snow, perhaps mixed with a little sleet or freezing rain, may linger in parts of New England and upstate New York. In addition to any snow or ice that fell Friday could make for slippery travel in the region.
Central:Light snow may spread out of the Rockies into parts of the Northern Plains and upper Midwest. Strong north to northwest winds behind a cold front could blast through parts of the Northern Plains and Front Range of the Rockies.
Potential weather-related flight delays: Boston, New York, Denver
Sunday
Sunday's weather will be dominated by a cold front, which could lead to significant travel headaches in the East and South.
Northeast:For now, most of the precipitation in the Northeast may be in the form of rain, with any ice, sleet or snow confined to far northern New England. There may also be strong winds both ahead of the front in the warm air, then behind the front in the colder air. If this forecast holds, expect significant flight delays at the Northeast hubs.
Midwest:Strong, cold northwest winds will blast through the upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes and Midwest, which could make driving tricky especially on east-west roads. Heavy lake-effect snow is possible in the snowbelts from far northern Wisconsin into Upper Michigan and western Lower Michigan. Expect dangerous travel with local whiteout conditions in these areas.
South:Rain showers, possibly some thunderstorms, are expected ahead of the cold front from Virginia and the Carolinas to the northern Gulf Coast. This could produce brief heavy rain and possibly some flight delays.
Potential weather-related flight delays: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago (wind), Atlanta, Houston
Make sure you check back often since the forecast will likely change. We hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season.