Thanksgiving travelers in northwestern New York can expect poor travel conditions on Tuesday, which is expected to be one of the busiest holiday travel days this year.
An updated forecast from AccuWeather shows the expected weather impacts across the nation, as almost 80 million Americans are set to travel for the holiday, AAA reported.
In New York, the National Weather Service office in Albany has a winter weather advisory in place for northern Warren and Hamilton Counties. Later this week, lake effect snow could disrupt travelers on their journey home after the holiday.
Winter Weather Advisory
A winter weather advisory issued early Monday morning is set to go into effect from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday for Warren and Hamilton Counties. The advisory also stretches into Vermont.
“Difficult travel conditions are possible. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning commute,” the Albany NWS office said in the warning, adding: “Slow down and use caution while traveling. Prepare for possible power outages.”
As of Monday morning, animated weather radar footage from Windy.com showed no impacts to New York, though that is expected to change as the week goes on.
Travel conditions in northwestern New York are expected to be poor on Tuesday, AccuWeather forecast.
Conditions are set to improve on Wednesday, the forecast showed, though they still won’t be considered “good.”
AccuWeather
AccuWeather
The NWS Weather Prediction Center forecast anticipates mixed precipitation, which could come as rain or snow, across almost all of New York on Tuesday, with the potential for rain in New York City and freezing rain in northern New York.
By Wednesday, the threat for freezing rain is expected to be gone, though the threat of rain in New York City and mixed precipitation across much of the rest of the state will likely remain.
NWS Weather Prediction Center
NWS Weather Prediction Center
Lake Effect Snow
A hazardous weather outlook is in place across much of New York, warning of potential lake effect snow that could occur later this week.
Lake effect snow can produce 3 inches or more of snow per hour, the NWS said.
“There is definitely a signal for a decent lake effect snow event, but it likely won’t start until Wednesday into Thursday and into next weekend,” Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist at the NWS Weather Prediction Center, told Newsweek.
Travel impacts from the snow event are expected downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario this weekend, when many people are returning after the Thanksgiving holiday.
“One other thing to note is we do have a cold front that should be pushing into the Eastern U.S. on Thursday, and it is likely to bring rain and possibly some wind impacts to portions of the East Coast,” Santorelli said. “That may impact the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.”
The NWS hazardous weather outlook issued by the Albany office anticipates that the lake effect snow will begin earlier in the week.
“Lake effect snow is expected to develop across the western Adirondacks Tuesday night and Wednesday, with light to moderate snow accumulations possible,” the outlook said. “If confidence increases in moderate snow accumulations, a Winter Weather Advisory would be issued later in time.”
