Thanksgiving Eve nor’easter now looks certain to make holiday travel a nightmare

Quartz ^ | November 24, 2013 | Eric Holthaus

[metmom]

Quartz meteorologist Eric Holthaus answered your questions about the Thanksgiving Eve storm, how it will affect holiday travel, and more. The video above is an archive of the chat. His original piece is below.

It looks increasingly certain that a major storm will hit the eastern half of the United States on the day before Thanksgiving, the busiest travel day of the year.

But here’s the twist: Don’t expect a white Thanksgiving in New York, Boston, or other big cities. Along the coast, the tempest will manifest itself more like a tropical storm than a snowy nor’easter. That means a deluge of heavy rain and sustained high winds—terrible travel conditions, by any definition.

In fact, a three- to four-inch blast of chilly rain is now expected across a broad swath of the southern and eastern US, including the major travel hubs of Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, DC, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. If you plan to venture outside, this storm will likely find you.

[metmom]

We were going to be driving to New England for a variety of reasons this week, but nothing that couldn’t wait. So it is.

I canceled out of it all.

I’m not fighting snow, rain, winds, ice, and worst of all, all the other idiot drivers out on the road.

They’re worse than the other four combined. One idiot in a hurry and the interstate can be shut down for hours.

No thanks.

[Stevenc131]

No end to the mischief caused by global warming.

[jocon307]

I think it’s crazy cold here for this time of year. I heard it was super cold at the football game in Mass last night.

Have a happy thanksgiving, no matter where in the world you are!

[Cheerio]

Can’t the WH clown just issue an EO to stop this? /s

[PA Engineer]

Ice, on the other hand........

got 500 lbs of calcium chlorite today. My driveway s*cks. 355 feet straight down a PA mountain. Too early. Ugh.

[PA Engineer]

Or the check out line a Wally World, which under these condidtions would be pretty much the same thing!

So was Sam's today. Thanksgiving shopping H*ll.

[Jane Long]

I think it's colder and more miserable in Austin than it is in D/FW area. That's a switch. We're having colder weather than usual, in the Houston area. No ice, just rain.

Stay safe, dry and warm.

[SeaHawkFan]

I’m secretly hoping the weather for the Super Bowl in NY is so bad they have to postpone it for a couple of days.

[Nepeta]

(You’d think people born and raised in NYS (snow country) would know better by the time they’re adults. Watch the weather forecast and keep an eye on your pantry and fridge.)

I bailed from NY after 10 winters. Now, I am back in the place where people panic at the mere suggestion of "WHITE DEATH" in the forecast--the mere swirling of snow in the air. I can now drive anywhere, but the locals go mildly mad in the snow, so the city coats the streets with salt. One afternoon I was out and about with no snow predicted and no snow on the ground, but I noticed that there was white fluffy stuff being tossed around by the wind. Then I realized that the white stuff was road salt.

[Carriage Hill]

Light snow now, 32°F in York, PA, at 1:12am Tuesday. 3-5" of rain forecast for Tue/Wed.

I'm like a kid when the first snowfall arrives!

[Mogger]

355 feet straight down a PA mountain

Great sledding!

My wife is from northeastern PA.

[metmom]

I did my Thanksgiving shopping last week.

I know better than to try to do it after the Saturday before.

[metmom]

I’m secretly hoping the weather for the Super Bowl in NY is so bad they have to postpone it for a couple of days.

Someone told me last night that that's what the Farmer's Almanac is predicting.

[metmom]

We’ve already had 6 inches from lake-effect. With this snowfall, it looks like the local ski resorts will be able to open for THIS weekend.

They need a good year. They’ve been hammered the last few winters.

This is just not good, reliable ski country.

[RoadGumby]

Myself, I am driving Wednesday evening from NJ to TN to be home for the holiday. Prayers up for all travelers.

[grania]

There’s plenty of warning with this one, at least in this area. (near-Cleveland) I’ll shop and do errands this AM and put the car in the garage until the impact is over. Looking at the thing, I’d be more nervous about further shore damage in NJ and other NE shore areas.

[basil]

Honest to goodness—this reminds me of the 3 years we lived in North Dakota-—but at least up there they were ready for it. The houses were built for it and they had the street clearing equipment, etc........

[jocon307]

Please be very careful! I’ll keep you in my thoughts.

[Carriage Hill]

There’s snow/ice to our immediate north and rain/sleet to the near south, but we’re in a clear trough, right now. Warnings still up until 4pm; looks dry outside, for now.

[Carriage Hill]

The trough just closed here in East York, PA, and it's sleeting, covering everything with ice. The little snow which fell last night is gone, and it mercifully looks like we'll get only rain out of this storm. 36°F, currently. Just to the north in Harrisburg, it's snowing and 31°F.