US Christmas travel: Snow to slick roads from Great Lakes to Northeast; Rain to cause delays in Northwest

By Jordan Root, AccuWeather meteorologist

December 20,2016, 8:06:16PM,EST

 

 Those planning on hitting the road early this year to head to their Christmas destination may face weather issues.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), more than 103 million Americans are expected to travel during the period from Friday, Dec. 23, to Monday, Jan. 2, the most on record.
Some areas of the country will be at a higher risk of travel delays and dangers, than others. Through the middle of this week, it is the northern tier of the nation that can expect some wintry conditions. Travel in the Northwest will once again be impaired as the second of two storm systems move through. One of the storms can cause slick roads from rain, ice and snow from the Midwest to the Northeast prior to the end of this week. A new storm will invade the West late in the week.
Snow showers may create highway dangers near Great Lakes
A storm will spread a swath of snow across the Upper Midwest on Wednesday, before charging into the Northeast.
"Some light rain may slow travel at the major airport hubs in the Northeast, including Boston, New York City and Washington D.C., on Thursday" AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
Across New England, cold air will rush in fast enough for some rain to briefly change over to snow and cause slippery roads.

The storm may help spark lake-effect snow for a time by the end of the week over the interior Northeast.
Folks traveling near the Great Lakes may encounter fast-changing weather conditions. The most intense snow showers could bring brief but dangerous whiteouts and quick road accumulations. However, the intensity of the snow showers and overall snowfall accumulation are not expected to rival those of the last couple of weeks.
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“Ground and air travel along the the East Coast looks better on Friday with dry weather up and down the I-95 corridor,” Pydynowski said.
West to turn unsettled as snow and rain disrupt travel
Following a storm with coastal rain and interior snow to start the week in the Northwest, the West will turn unsettled again with another storm system rolling in at the end of the week.
The storm will move ashore farther south than its early-week predecessor, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

"The storm will spread drenching rain southward across southern Oregon and California, then inland over the lowest elevations of the Great Basin," Sosnowski said. "Snow levels will lower enough to create difficult travel over all of the major passes in California during Friday night and Saturday."
Mainly dry weather to stretch across the South into Saturday
With the main storm track across the northern tier of the nation this week, travelers across the Southeastern states can expect few, if any, weather-related problems.
By Friday, spotty showers may affect part of the Florida Peninsula for those seeking holiday fun at the beach and theme parks.
Conditions are likely to deteriorate over much of the Central states by Christmas Day as a major storm with snow, wind and severe weather may unfold.