Traveling For Thanksgiving? Here's What You Should Know
(CBS DETROIT) - Traveling for Thanksgiving this year may be especially challenging. Two storms are forecasted to move through the Midwest this week. The good news is if you're staying around Detroit, most of precipitation we'll receive will be in the liquid form!
In Detroit we will start to see rain Tuesday evening through Wednesday evening, but in spots such as Minneapolis, where airlines such as Delta are often have layovers, a winter storm watch goes into effect on Monday evening with snow expected to start by Tuesday afternoon and ending on Wednesday morning. Strong winds will produce blowing snow and an accumulation of up to 6" or more of snowfall is expected!
The back half of this low pressure system will also dump up to 2" of snowfall per hour totaling 10"-16" of snow in the U.P. as it passes between the Upper and Lower Peninsula. Blowing snow will also be a concern as wind gusts could reach 45mph! So if you're planning on going up north this week, leaving Monday or Thanksgiving Day may be your best bet.
While in the Midwest we are battling one low pressure system, there is another one off the coast of Oregon expected to bring in snow to Oregon and parts of California starting late Tuesday morning. While a large portion of the California coastline can expect rain from this system, Nevada, Oregon, and the rest of the Rocky Mountains in California, can expect snow. Areas near Lake Tahoe, for example, are expecting roughly a foot of snowfall and a multiday total of nearly three feet of snow along the Sierra crest through Thanksgiving Day! That doesn't include the near 60mph winds they could also experience!
As the week continues on, another area of low pressure will form in Utah by Friday introducing more fresh snowfall to the Rockies before trekking through the West to reach Michigan by the Saturday. This second round of precipitation will bring another round of snow for the U.P. and upper Lower, a wintry mix for mid-Michigan and the Thumb, and rain followed by snow to Southeast Michigan and the west side of the state.
With all the white-knuckle driving and sure to be long layovers at the airport, there is one small silver lining... Dry conditions are expected to return in time for the morning rush on Monday, but don't get too comfortable, some forecast models show more snow by the middle of next week!
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