Winter Storm To Snarl Post-Holiday Travel

Hopefully your travel before Christmas was holly and jolly, but for people planning their return journey, here's where there could be a few trouble spots.

Friday

Winter Storm Devin will snarl travel across the Great Lakes and Northeast the day after Christmas, while heavy rain and flooding continues to threaten California.

Northeast, Great Lakes: Snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected to spread from the Great Lakes into the Northeast. The map below shows areas most likely to see this wintry precipitation. An ice storm warning is in effect for parts of central and western Pennsylvania where ice accumulations could reach a 0.25" or higher. This much ice can down trees and cause power outages.

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Winter storm warnings have been posted for New York City, upstate New York, the Poconos, northern New Jersey and western Connecticut. A swath of 5-8 inches will be possible in the warning areas with some isolated totals as high as a foot of snow.

Expect 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, but locally heavy rain showers will continue in California. 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, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Detroit

Saturday

For the first time in several weeks, the weather in the West will quiet down considerably, with the exception of a few lingering snow showers in the Rockies. However, some travel concerns are still possible.

East: A few lingering snow showers from Winter Storm Devin will be possible early before tapering off. The roads are already likely to be a bit icy from Friday's precipitation, so any fresh snow on top of things will just add to the slippery-ness.

Rockies, Dakotas: Snow showers will continue on and off in the Rockies. Light snow or a bit of wintry mix may break out near the Canadian border ahead of a cold front in the Dakotas late, so most of the day looks dry. Strong north to northwest winds behind a cold front will blast through parts of the Northern Plains and Front Range of the Rockies late Saturday into Saturday night.

Potential weather-related flight delays: Boston, New York

Sunday

Sunday's weather will be dominated by a cold front, which could lead to significant travel headaches in parts of the East and South. This is going to be the next winter storm to impact the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast on the heels of Winter Storm Devin.

Northeast: While precipitation in parts of the Northeast could begin as either freezing rain, sleet or snow, current forecast models suggest the dominant precipitation late Sunday may be rain for most, except for 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 and storms, possibly severe, are expected ahead of the cold front from the Great Lakes to the northern Gulf Coast. A few severe storms could produce gusty winds and brief heavy rain in places like Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis and Little Rock.

Potential weather-related flight delays: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, St. Louis

Make sure you check back often since the forecast will likely change. We hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season.