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Up to 10 inches of snow was forecast overnight
for mountainous parts of the Northeast and heavy rain and snow
was predicted for New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington,
said National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Musher.
"Even if it's just rain, there are going to be delays which
could cause havoc across the country," Musher said.
"We're talking about a lot of moisture moving in overnight into
tomorrow morning," he said. "On the roads, there is the
potential for standing water, which could cause hydroplaning."
Rain was expected to turn to snow during the day on Wednesday,
with accumulations of up to 5 inches in New York City, up to 4
inches in Philadelphia, up to 2 inches in Boston and less than
an inch in Washington, according to the National Weather
Service. Snow totals were expected to be higher outside the
metropolitan areas.
Altogether, 46.3 million Americans are expected to travel over
the holiday weekend, the highest volume since 2007, according to
the AAA.
With nasty weather predicted for Wednesday, American, United,
Delta and Southwest airlines offered a free one-time change for
fliers who want to move up or delay their flights over the
holiday weekend. Some 3.5 million were expected to be flying
over the holiday weekend, according to AAA.
"We're doing everything we can to get our customers to their
destinations," said United spokeswoman Karen May.
U.S. road travelers drive an average 549-miles round-trip at
Thanksgiving to feast on turkey and all the fixings with their
loved ones, said AAA spokeswoman Julie Hall.
"We're telling drivers to consider altering their travel plans
to give themselves extra time," Hall said. "If they can get
ahead of the storm or if they can delay to avoid the storm, they
should do that."
(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Jill Serjeant and
Mohammad Zargham)
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