Snowfall threatens to disrupt post-Thanksgiving travel across the northern Plains and Midwest, with 6 million people under winter alerts from northern Minnesota to upstate New York. In the Great Lakes region, lake-effect snow could bring up to 3 feet in areas east of lakes Erie and Ontario, with snowfall rates reaching 3–4 inches per hour. Some isolated areas near Watertown, New York, may see as much as 60 inches, accompanied by thundersnow.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for 11 counties, including Erie, Jefferson, and Oswego. Interstate 90 between Cleveland and Buffalo and Interstate 81 near Syracuse are among the routes likely to be impacted. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz warned that central and southern parts of the county could see 2–3 feet of snow or more.
Arctic air is delivering the coldest temperatures since last winter, stretching from the Plains and Midwest to the South and East Coast. Wind chills in the northern Plains and upper Midwest may drop as low as -30 to -40 degrees. Freeze warnings are in effect for 9 million people in the South, from Texas to the Carolinas.
Travel has already been affected, with a 15-vehicle crash in Michigan Thursday night blamed on icy conditions. Meanwhile, U.S. airports moved a record 232,000 flights during Thanksgiving week.
Also read: Chinese Journalist Dong Yuyu Sentenced to 7 Years for Espionage
