Christmas Holiday Travel Weather Could Have Some Headaches In Parts of the West And East

The Christmas holidays are now in full swing and the weather can cause major headaches both on the roads and in the air in some parts of the country.

Monday

Overall, weather-wise, Monday looks like a pretty decent day for traveling across most of the country.

West: Bands of locally heavy rain may continue across Northern California, including the Bay Area, which could lead to flash flooding and landslides. Rain and cascading snow will continue across Washington State and western Oregon. Rain, mountain snow and high winds are expected in the Northern Rockies, which could make driving difficult, especially on mountain passes.

South: Only a few showers are possible in parts of the lower Mississippi Valley. They should just get in the way and should not cause major delays along the way.

Midwest: Light snow, possibly mixed with sleet or freezing rain, is expected in the Great Lakes, spreading east this evening. This can lead to a slippery ride.

Possible flight delays due to weather conditions: San Francisco, Seattle.

Tuesday

On this key travel day before Christmas Eve, there could be even more weather headaches in both the East and West.

East: Light snow, sleet or freezing rain will cover parts of the Northeast. The largest accumulations will be in northern New England and parts of central and upstate New York. However, areas from northern Pennsylvania to the New York tri-state area and southern New England may experience light accumulations that could cause some roads to become slushy and slippery, especially early in the day. Otherwise, showers and gusty winds are possible across the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.

West: A stronger storm will move into California Tuesday evening with heavy rain and strong winds, first in Northern California before moving into Southern California overnight. Some rain and mountain snow from this system could also reach parts of Oregon and Washington.

Possible flight delays due to weather conditions: Boston, New York, San Francisco (late), Los Angeles (late).

Christmas Eve

By far the biggest travel weather concerns will be in the West, but parts of the Midwest can also experience hidden travel headaches.

West: Areas of heavy rainfall will continue across California, including the Los Angeles and San Diego basins. This rain could also spread into parts of the Great Basin and Southwest Desert, including the Las Vegas Valley, perhaps even as far east as Phoenix. Flash flooding is possible, especially near areas recently affected by wildfires. Hazardous driving conditions are possible on Interstate 80 from San Francisco through the Sierra Nevada. Otherwise, rain and mountain snow will be possible again for parts of the northwest and northern Rockies.

Central/East: Any precipitation in New England should end by midday. The only thing that could be a weather headache while traveling is the potential for areas of low clouds, fog and light showers in parts of the Midwest as warmer, more humid air tries to move north. This could lead to flight delays at major hubs, especially in the morning.

Possible flight delays due to weather conditions: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago, Kansas City, Cincinnati.

Christmas

The West, especially California, will continue to see challenging weather during the holidays.

West: Another powerful Pacific storm could hit California with even more heavy rain, high winds and heavy snowfall in the Sierra. Valley rain, mountain snow and wind will eventually spread into the Northwest, Great Basin, Desert Southwest and Rockies.

Midwest, East: Light snow could sweep northern New England in the morning. Light showers are possible across the Appalachians. Light freezing rain, sleet or snow could push through from North Dakota into northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Michigan on Christmas night, leading to slick road conditions.

Possible flight delays due to weather conditions: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago (low clouds).

Day after Christmas

The day after Christmas could see travel delays in parts of the North East and West.

Northeast, Great Lakes: Snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected to spread from the western Great Lakes into the Northeast. The map below shows the areas most likely to see this wintry precipitation, which could be a little further south than Tuesday. This could lead to significant flight delays at major hubs in the North East, particularly in the afternoon and evening, as well as slick roads.

West: The Pacific storm will gradually subside, especially in Northern California. Showers, possibly heavy, will continue across Southern California and spread into the desert southwest. Snow, possibly heavy, will spread from the Sierra into the northern Great Basin, northern Rockies and parts of the Cascade Mountains. Expect potentially challenging winter driving conditions in these areas.

Possible flight delays due to weather conditions: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC.

Saturday

For the first time in several weeks, the weather in the West will calm down significantly. However, there may be some travel disruptions in the central and eastern region.

East: Light snow, possibly mixed with some sleet or freezing rain, could linger in parts of New England and upstate New York. In addition to the snow or ice that fell Friday, travel in the region could become slippery.

Central: Light snow could spread from the Rockies into parts of the Northern Plains and upper Midwest. Strong north-northwest winds behind a cold front could sweep through parts of the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountain Front Range.

Possible flight delays due to weather conditions: Boston, New York, Denver.

Sunday

Sunday's weather will be dominated by a cold front, which could lead to some serious headaches when traveling east and south.

Northeast: For now, most of the precipitation in the Northeast may fall as rain, with ice, sleet or snow limited to far northern New England. There may also be strong winds both ahead of the front in warm air and behind the front in colder air. If this forecast holds true, expect significant flight delays at northeastern hubs.

Midwest: Strong, cold northwest winds will sweep through the upper Mississippi Valley, the Great Lakes and the Midwest, which could make driving difficult, especially on east-west roads. Heavy lake effect snow is possible in snow belts from far northern Wisconsin to Upper Michigan and western Lower Michigan. Expect dangerous travel with local white light conditions in these areas.

South: Showers and possible thunderstorms are expected ahead of the cold front from Virginia and the Carolinas to the northern Gulf Coast. This could cause brief periods of heavy rain and possibly some flight delays.

Possible flight delays due to weather conditions: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Chicago (wind), Atlanta, Houston.

Be sure to check back often as the forecast is likely to change. We hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season.