Christmas travel weather forecast includes rain, snow and storms in some areas
Christmas is almost here, and millions of Americans will be traveling by vehicle or plane over the next few days. But how will the weather impact your holiday plans?
Folks in the central and western U.S. could see some travel delays due to weather in the days leading up to Christmas, forecasters say.
"The bulk of the rain and snow that could pose travel headaches through Christmas Eve (Sunday) will be in the central and western states," said Weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. He added that much of the East Coast will stay dry during this time, with high pressure in control.
Bad weather in the West
On Thursday, heavy rain is forecast across Southern California, likely causing travel problems in and around Los Angeles and San Diego, the National Weather Service said. The rain will also create numerous areas of flash flooding with narrow canyons, gullies, and burn scars the most vulnerable areas. In addition, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers.
By Friday and into Saturday, the rain will taper off in Southern California as the storm moves into the Desert Southwest. Phoenix, for example, will see over an inch of rain on Friday, which will impact air and ground travel, the weather service said.
The Pacific Northwest will also see its share of weather woes on Friday, with rain forecast along the coast and in the valleys, while several inches of snow falls in the Cascades. "Those with pass travel in mind Friday into Saturday will want to make sure to stay up to date on the latest forecast updates," the weather service in Seattle advised.
By Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day, most of the Far West will see benign weather, AccuWeather said.
Storms in central US
"A round of wet weather will cross the southern Plains from Thursday into Friday, bringing the potential for heavy rain to cities such as Oklahoma City, Dallas and Houston by the end of the week," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Heather Zehr said.
The central U.S. will see more rain by the weekend, Zehr said: "After a short break, another round of potentially travel-disrupting rains can move through over the weekend. This rain may linger into Christmas Day in some places."
Snow is likely to cause travel troubles in the northern Rockies and northern Plains by the weekend. According to AccuWeather, a belt of heavy snow may cross several major Interstate highways in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and the Dakotas.
Calm, quiet in the East until Christmas
For many travelers on Thursday and Friday, conditions will be fairly good due to high pressure promoting tranquil weather across most of the East Coast, AccuWeather said. Key travel hubs in the East, such as Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston and Atlanta, should face limited weather-related delays or cancellations.
The quiet weather in the East is expected to continue into the weekend before going downhill on Christmas Day. "By Christmas Day, some of the wet weather will inch closer to the East, especially the Southeast states," Dolce said. "Thereafter, a storm system could pose weather-related travel headaches to much of the East in the days after Christmas, but details are still uncertain."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Christmas travel weather forecast includes snow and storms in US
