Before you leave, remember to check the local forecast or look at the Black Friday sales: Travel plans in the northern Plains and Midwest could be hampered by snowfall, and over 9 million people in the South are under freeze watches.
A strong lake effect snow event is predicted to continue through the weekend in the Great Lakes region before easing off early the following week. From northern Minnesota into upstate New York, six million people were under winter alerts on Friday. Snowfall totals downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario were predicted to be three feet or more.
Thundersnow, a rare weather phenomenon that mixes a snowstorm with thunder and lightning, may accompany the sometimes blinding 3 to 4 inch per hour snowfall rates. The greatest snow accumulations will occur east of Lake Ontario, with isolated locations near the Watertown, New York, area potentially receiving up to 60 inches of snow.
Road traffic might be particularly challenging on Interstate 81 north of Syracuse, New York, and Interstate 90 between Cleveland and Buffalo. Highmark Stadium is located in Orchard Park, a town that is expected to receive between 12 and 18 inches of snow, with higher amounts likely, meaning that the San Francisco 49ers vs. Buffalo Bills Sunday Night Football game could be buried beneath snow.
According to police, a collision along U.S. Route 131 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Thursday night that injured several persons was most likely caused by wintry weather. Authorities did not specify how many people were injured in the incident. Police stated that up to 15 automobiles were involved in the crash.
Between Sunday and Thursday, U.S. airports were crowded with passengers traveling to Thanksgiving destinations. Over 232,000 flights were safely relocated around the nation between those days, setting a record for Thanksgiving week, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. On Tuesday alone, more than 52,000 planes transported people to their destinations.
On Friday, freeze watches and warnings were in effect for around 9 million people in the South, which stretches from Texas to the Carolinas. The following cities are on alert: Charleston, South Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Abilene, Texas.
With an Arctic air mass extending southward from Canada, weather scientists predict that the coldest air in the South will not yet arrive.
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