Inclement weather made travel a nightmare for millions of Americans as they hit the road for Thanksgiving. Now, forecasters are saying that their trips home could be impacted by heavy snow, high winds, and flash flooding. The weather is expected to cause significant delays at airports across the country and make driving difficult and dangerous for the 56 million Americans who are returning home after Thanksgiving.
A blizzard is expected to dump heavy snow across the Northern and Central Plains, the upper Mississippi Valley, and the upper Midwest.
"This storm will ... produce significant snow and blizzard conditions across the Northern Plains through Saturday before moving to the Great Lakes and Northeast Sunday and Monday," the National Weather Service said in a statement.
The Ohio Valley will see freezing rains and high winds, while people living in Southeast and along the Gulf Coast can expect flooding rains and dangerous thunderstorms. New York is expected to get its first Nor'Easter of the season, which could dump up to nine inches of snow in some parts of the state.
In California, which saw flooding rains up and down the coast on Thanksgiving, forecasters are predicting another storm will dump even more rain across the state.
Authorities asked travelers to check the road conditions before heading out and to take caution as they head home.
"There's going to be a lot of extra vehicles on the roadway," Shasta Tollefson with the California Highway Patrol said. "Give yourself plenty of time when you are heading out the door, and if you have a normal four-hour travel time, make sure that you give yourself six hours."
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