Stormy, Snowy Weather May Bring Holiday Travel Delays

By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist

December 15,2012; 1:20PM,EST

Cold, windy and snowy weather may impact holiday travel across portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast next weekend, while stormy weather slams the West.
There may be some trouble spots with rain 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), 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.

Cold, Wind, Snow Potential 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 Northeast.

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

"A storm may be moving off the East Coast the weekend before Christmas with lingering precipitation and wind in the Northeast on Saturday," AccuWeather Expert Senior Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "It looks like there may be snow in New England."

People traveling around Boston on Saturday will have to watch for the potential for snow.
Depending on the track and strength of the storm, there may be potential for wind-driven snow as far south as New York City and Philadelphia.
"While the storm will be leaving, it will be key. That's the storm that will bring cold and a few days of lake-effect snow," Rayno said.
Cold winds and lake-effect snow showers may impact travel across the typical lake-effect snowbelts downwind of the Great Lakes through the central Appalachians next weekend. Motorists should be prepared for suddenly reduced visibility and slippery travel through snow squalls.
Stormy in the West
A Pacific storm will have an impact on portions of the West next weekend. It may throw locally heavy rain into the coast and unleash snow in the mountains.

Southern Oregon and northern California may deal with some of the heaviest rain, including along the I-5 corridor.
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.
Meanwhile, low clouds and rain may cause flight delays in San Francisco and Sacramento.
It will be a fairly cold storm with heavy snow in the mountains.
"It appears that the heavier snow amounts will be in the northern and central Sierra with potential impact along I-80," Rayno said.
Some rain may spread southward across Southern California Saturday night into Sunday. Slow travel may result in Los Angeles and San Diego.
While the core of the rain is predicted to stay to the south, some rain may dampen the Pacific Northwest coast as well. Minor flight delays are not out of the question 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.
Some Rain, Fog in the South
An area of rain may blossom across portions of Texas into the central Gulf states as moisture is ushered in from the Gulf of Mexico.
While rain is 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