Christmas Travel Forecast: Rain and Snow Will Likely Cause Delays

Linda Lam
Published: December 21,2015
The weather may bring travel concerns to those traveling for Christmas in the week ahead. Rain and snow may cause both delays on the roads and in the air including both coasts of the U.S. heading toward the holiday.
The other big weather story for Christmas week will be a return of the above-average temperatures to portions of the central and eastern U.S. Record warm temperatures are possible for both highs and lows next week.
(MORE: Warmest Christmas Week in Living Memory Possible in East, Midwest)
Low temperatures might not even drop to the freezing mark in the East for much of next week, limiting the chances for a white Christmas as the vast majority of the precipitation will fall as rain.
(MORE: White Christmas Forecast)
Scroll below for a day-by-day breakdown of where travel may be hindered due to weather as you travel to get to your Christmas destinations.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Tuesday's Forecast

Areas of rain and thunderstorms will dot parts of the Northeast and Middle Atlantic states into the Deep South and Gulf Coast. Some locally heavy rain is possible where slow-moving thunderstorms persist from the Gulf Coast states to the Carolinas. Flash flood watches have been posted for much of Georgia, southeastern Alabama and portions of the Florida Panhandle.
A few severe thunderstorms, with damaging winds and an isolated tornado, may develop from central Texas into Louisiana, Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. An isolated severe thunderstorm is also possible into portions of Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
(MORE: Severe Weather and Heavy Rain Forecast)
Winter Storm Ferus will push east bringing rain and snow to much of the West Coast and into parts of the Rockies and northern Plains (North Dakota and northern Minnesota).
The above-average temperatures will dominate the eastern half of the U.S. Highs will be up to 20 degrees warmer than average, with lows up to 30 degrees above average. Meanwhile, the West will see temperatures near average for late December.
Air Delays Possible: New Orleans | Atlanta | New York | San Francisco
Worst Interstate Travel Delays:

• Interstate 5 from Washington to California (areas of rain)
• Interstate 20 from South Carolina to Louisiana (rain, thunderstorms)
• Interstate 80 from Wyoming to California (snow and rain)
• Interstate 94 from Minnesota to Montana (snow)
• Interstate 95 from Florida to Maine (rain)

Wednesday, December 23

Wednesday's Forecast

Rain and thunderstorms will continue to make for wet travel from the Mississippi Valley into much of the East as an area of low pressure moves into the Great Lakes. Severe thunderstorms will threaten parts of the South and Ohio Valley with damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes possible.
(MORE: Severe Weather Forecast)
The widespread nature of low clouds, fog, rain, and a few thunderstorms could spell significant airport delays in the major Northeast hubs, as well as Chicago O'Hare and Atlanta on this busy getaway day.
A few rain and snow showers will linger from the Pacific Northwest into parts of the Rockies, but the precipitation is not expected to be as widespread as early in the week. Snow levels in the Pacific Northwest will be rather low.
The other story is the warm temperatures. High will be 10 to 30 degrees warmer than average from the Plains to the East Coast with numerous record highs possible. It will be mild for most of the East with highs mainly in the 50s and 60s from Boston to Chicago and southward into the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley. The South will see highs in the 70s and even a few 80s.
Most of the West will be seasonably cool with highs mainly ranging from the 30s to the 50s, with 60s and 70s in the Desert Southwest and temperatures will only reach the 10s and 20s in the higher elevations of the Inter-mountain West.
Air Delays Possible: Philadelphia | Newark | JFK | Dulles | Chicago | Atlanta
Worst Interstate Travel Delays:

• Interstate 5 from Washington to southern Oregon (rain, some lower snow levels)
• Interstate 10 from Florida to Houston (rain and thunderstorms)
• Interstate 20 from east Texas to South Carolina (rain and thunderstorms)
• Interstate 90 from Boston to Madison, Wisconsin (rain)
• Interstate 95 from southern Maine to northern Florida (rain and Southeast thunderstorms)

Christmas Eve

Thursday's Forecast

A cold front will slide into the Northeast with showers lingering from New England to the Appalachians and Gulf Coast. Temperatures will remain mild with lows more than 30 degrees above average in many locations in the East, which translates to lows in the 50s and low 60s, with a few 40s in portions of New England. Record highs and warm low temperatures are likely once again.
The Midwest and Plains will see a mainly dry Christmas Eve with highs 5 to 20 degrees warmer than average. Though a few flurries or snow showers can't be rule out in parts of Nebraska, Iowa, northern Missouir and northeastern Kansas.
Snow will continue in the much of the West, including the Cascades, Siskiyous, Sierra, Wasatch and Rockies, with low-elevation rain possible as far south as Southern California. Very low snow levels are expected in the Northwest.
Air Delays Possible: Newark | San Francisco | Seattle
Worst Interstate Travel Delays:

• Interstate 5 from Washington to southern California (rain, low snow levels)
• Interstate 10 from Florida to Louisiana (showers and thunderstorms)
• Interstate 80 from California to Nevada (rain west of the Sierra, otherwise snow)
• Interstate 81 from Tennessee to New York (rain showers)

Christmas Day

Friday's Forecast

Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms will remain possible in the South, Ohio Valley and Middle Atlantic, while drier weather will return to much of the Northeast. Slightly cooler temperatures are also expected in the Northeast, although temperatures will still be warmer than average from the central Plains to the East Coast.
Snow, possibly heavy, may blanket parts of the northern Plains to the Upper Midwest, especially towards overnight.
An area of low pressure will move into the Southwest with snow possible in the higher terrain of northern Arizona, Utah, northern New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. A few rain and snow showers linger in Pacific Northwest, especially early in the day, where snow levels will be very low. High temperatures will be up to 20 degrees cooler than average throughout the region.
Air Delays Possible: Atlanta | Dallas-Fort Worth | Minneapolis/St. Paul | Denver
Worst Interstate Travel Delays:

• Interstate 20 from Atlanta to Dallas (showers and thunderstorms)
• Interstate 40 from Arkansas to North Carolina (showers and thunderstorms)
• Interstate 70 in Colorado and Utah (snow)
• Interstate 80 from western Nebraska to Utah (snow)
• Interstate 5 in Washington and Oregon (rain/snow showers possible)

MORE: 30 Christmas Destinations (PHOTOS)