A Frosty Reality Check After Thanksgiving Celebrations
14 million Americans under winter weather alerts as cold
A sweeping Plains-to-Great Lakes storm system is thrusting 14 million Americans into winter weather alerts, marking a chilling contrast to the overarching concerns of climate change. The nation braces for below-normal temperatures stretching from New Mexico to Kansas and from Oklahoma to the Upper Midwest. The seasonal west-to-east upper-level low-pressure system promises rain and, in some regions, a substantial half-foot blanket of snow, as predicted by federal forecasters.
Air Travel Faces Unprecedented Challenges
NBC News meteorologists anticipate temperature dips ranging from 5 to 30 degrees below normal, adding an icy edge to the post-Thanksgiving season. This wintry intrusion makes its way to major cities in the Midwest and along the East Coast, coinciding with a post-pandemic surge in air travel. A staggering single-day record of 2.9 million people is expected to take to the skies on Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Scott Keyes, the founder of going.com, a platform alerting travelers to discounted flights, warns that Sunday’s weather could pose “perhaps the biggest test in air travel history” for U.S. carriers.
Global Warming Takes a Backseat as Winter Front Hits
This cold, snowy front introduces an alternate reality for those who basked in warmth just last month during the fifth consecutive month of record-high global temperatures. Holiday weekend effects encompass traditional November elements like lake effect snow in the Great Lakes region and rain along the Mid-Atlantic coast, according to federal forecasters.
Winter Storm’s Westward Prelude and Impacts
Saturday witnessed the winter storm providing a preview of winter in the West, with a freeze warning in effect for the Las Vegas Valley and snow spotted on a Santa Fe, New Mexico, freeway. Anticipated impacts include 4 inches of snow in Wichita, Kansas, and “minor accumulations” in Kansas City, Missouri, extending into Saturday evening, as indicated by the National Weather Service.
14 million Americans under winter weather alerts as cold
Midwest Braces for Intense Winter Conditions
The cold front is set to bring potentially 8 inches of snow and biting winds reaching speeds of 40 mph to various parts of Kansas. As the system moves, cold air from the north is expected to permeate the atmosphere, further lowering temperatures and generating snow in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York state.
Northeastern States Prepare for Winter’s Arrival
The system is projected to reach the Northeast by Tuesday, with the National Weather Service closely monitoring its behavior along the East Coast, from the northern reaches of Florida into New England. Despite its wintry grip, warmer temperatures are anticipated, possibly transitioning precipitation into rain, according to the NWS nationwide forecast discussion.
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