LA Weather: Rain, Snow Could Make Thanksgiving Travel Even Worse This Week
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — With Thanksgiving travel ramping up amid the arrival of several days of rain, Southern Californians could see a perfect storm of horrendous traffic this week.
Rain, snow and unusually cold temperatures are set to hit the region Wednesday, stay for Thanksgiving dinner and finally taper off Friday.
The storm will arrive on one of the busiest travel days of the year. More than 4.3 million Southern Californians are expected to travel this year for Thanksgiving – the second-busiest Thanksgiving travel day since 2000.
Forecasters say Wednesday and Thursday are expected to see heavy rainfall. Up to two inches of rain could fall on the coast and valleys, and the mountains and foothills could see three inches of rain. The National Weather Service says there's also potential for road closures later this week due to possible snow and ice on the Grapevine.
According to AAA, drivers should try to avoid these freeways at the following times – on Wednesday, the 10 Freeway in late afternoon, the southbound 405 Freeway at about 5:30 p.m., the northbound 405 Freeway at about 5:45 p.m. and the 101 West at about 8:30 p.m. On Friday, the southbound 5 Freeway is expected to be packed at about 6:30 p.m.
The weather could also impact air travelers. Two other storms are moving across the country ahead of Thanksgiving, bringing snow and freezing rain to New England and the Midwest, according to CBS News. Snowy conditions could cause cancellations for flights into and out of LAX.
