Nov. 25 (UPI) — Multiple storm systems are slated to impact the United States through the Thanksgiving holiday week, bringing major travel headaches for millions of Americans.
The winds will whip around a storm that will first unleash snow and possibly severe weather over portions of the central United States on Tuesday and Tuesday night.
As the storm swings eastward on Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year, the gusty weather will charge on as well.
The windy weather will impact the major hubs of Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
Winds are forecast to remain gusty in New York City on Thanksgiving Day, which could ground some of the most iconic and beloved balloons of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The famous balloons of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade can only be operated if sustained wind conditions stay below 23 mph and wind gusts are not expected to exceed 34 mph based on city regulations, according to Orlando Veras, a Macy’s Parade spokesman.
These regulations were not in place during the 1997 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as the balloons flew during winds of up to 43 mph, according to The New York Times. The intense winds damaged balloons and injured four parade spectators.
Regardless, it will be necessary for spectators to bundle up for this year’s festivities, with temperatures generally in the 40s F and AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures in the 30s. Otherwise, it should be dry for the parade with at least partial sunshine.
The Northwest will be the first region across the western United States to deal with adverse weather this week.
A storm system sliding into the Pacific Northwest on Sunday will bring rain, snow and rough surf.
As the storm comes ashore and cold air follows, snow is expected to fall below 4,000 feet across much of Washington and northern Oregon.
This means snow will fall below many of the pass levels, including Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass, leading to travel issues through at least midweek.
Snow will spread across the interior Northwest through Monday as the storm system continues to track inland.
While places like the Columbia Basin and the Snake River Valley may stay largely dry early in the week, most other areas will have wet weather as the system comes ashore.
As the week progresses, the storm system will slide southwest through the Northwest.
Gusty Diablo winds will develop across Northern California on Monday, leading to a brief period of high fire danger.
But wet weather across much of the West this week should eventually be enough to bring an end to the 2019 fire season.
The storm system will continue on a track toward the Midwest into midweek, bringing accumulating snow and a reinforcing shot of cold air to millions.
There will be little time to recover from the cold across the Northwest as another powerful storm system will track into the West Coast on Tuesday.
Most of the wet weather will remain along the Oregon coast and areas farther south, but this storm system will continue to keep below-average temperatures in place across the region into Thanksgiving.
