Snow, Wind May Impact Holiday Travel for Millions

By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist

December 17,2012; 8:04PM,EST

Windy weather and lake-effect snow may impact holiday travel across portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast this weekend, while stormy weather slams the West.
There may be some trouble spots with showers and fog across parts of the South as well.

AAA predicts that 93.3 millions Americans will travel 50 miles or more this holiday season, an increase of 1.6 percent compared to last year. Of that estimate, 90 percent (84.4 million) of them, more than a quarter of the U.S. population, are projected to travel by automobile. Meanwhile, air travel is expected to increase 4.5 percent from 2011.

Wind, Snow Impacts in Great Lakes, Northeast
It will be stormy leading up to the weekend before Christmas with chances of wintry precipitation in the Great Lakes and New England.

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Check out the forecast here.

Snow will generally be winding down across northern New England on Saturday as a storm departs; however, other travel problems will linger.
"I think there are going to be problems with gusty winds in general across the Northeast on Saturday," AccuWeather Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Areas just south of the eastern Great Lakes, including Cleveland, will endure the highest winds with gusts of 50-60 mph.
Winds may even be strong enough to cause flight delays in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
The cold winds will trigger lake-effect snow showers downwind of the Great Lakes through the central Appalachians. Motorists should be prepared for suddenly reduced visibility and slippery travel through snow squalls.
Low Clouds, Rain, Mountain Snow in the West
Yet another Pacific storm will have an impact on portions of the West this weekend. It may throw locally heavy rain into the coast and unleash snow in the mountains.

Southern Oregon and northern California are forecast to receive the heaviest rain. Travelers of the I-5 corridor should be prepared for blinding rain.
Motorists are urged to slow down in the rain and avoid any roads with water over them. Recent burn areas in California are especially susceptible to flooding.
Low clouds and rain may cause significant flight delays in San Francisco and Sacramento.
Meanwhile, heavy mountain snow is expected to clobber the northern and central Sierra. Travel along I-80 is likely to be impacted.
While the core of the rain is predicted to stay to the south, some rain may dampen the Pacific Northwest coast as well. Flight delays may occur in Seattle and Portland.
Snow in the Washington Cascades may lead to slippery driving conditions at times along the heavily traveled Snoqualmie Pass along I-90 in Washington.
Showers, Fog in the South
Showers may blossom across portions of Texas into the central Gulf states as moisture is ushered in from the Gulf of Mexico.
While the showers are not expected to be particularly widespread or heavy, there could be lowered visibility in isolated downpours along I-10 and I-20.
Depending on how strong the flow is from the Gulf, the potential exists for some areas of dense fog during the morning and midday hours Sunday. Travel along I-10 may be slowed in lowered visibility. Flight delays may be possible at times in Houston and New Orleans.