As the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve comes to a close, travel remains as busy as ever. With several storm systems impacting the country from coast to coast, messy conditions could lead to delays both on the roads and in the air.
The storm system that brought record rainfall to places such as Philadelphia and Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Wednesday will continue up the coast into New England through the day Thursday.
Steady rain and an isolated flooding risk will accompany this system as it treks into New England. On Thursday morning, 10 million people were under flood alerts.
Even as rain mostly tapers off during the day Thursday, low clouds and lingering showers will continue to cause air delays for major hubs such as New York City and Boston. On Friday, as lingering moisture meets cold air across Maine, rain will change over to snow, creating the possibility of slick roadways.
A separate storm system moving across the Florida Peninsula will bring morning rain to places such as Miami and Fort Lauderdale, before drying out by the evening commute.
Meanwhile, the Midwest has its own share of inclement weather this week, with a mix of rain and snow forecast to impact much of the region Thursday. Temperatures hovering just above freezing will limit snow accumulations, but slushy roads and poor visibility could impact travel in the northern sections of Interstates 75 and 65.
Chicago, Indianapolis and Milwaukee airports could all see flight delays Thursday as the system progresses east. The Ohio and the Tennessee valleys could also face a few snow showers Thursday night into Friday as the system continues south and east. Some flurries could even push as far south as the extreme northern parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. While no accumulation is expected here, novelty flakes could cause a stir for these southern spots.
Another rainmaker of a storm will encompass almost the entire state of Florida on Thursday, bringing steady rainfall with widespread totals of up to an inch. Every Florida airport runs the risk of experiencing delays because of this soaker, with wet roadways likely to create headaches for those traveling.
And the West Coast is bracing for torrential rains as another system makes its way inland Thursday into Friday. Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle are all looking at likely flight delays and almost the entire Interstate 5 corridor can expect a soaking by Friday afternoon with rainfall totals up to 3 inches possible.
Those making travel plans should plan ahead and prepare accordingly as the last few days of December come to a dreary end.
