Lake-effect Snow Event Forecast to Create Travel Headaches This Week

The chances of a white Thanksgiving are increasing across the Great Lakes as a new winter storm takes aim at the northern U.S. Here is a more detailed look at who will pick up accumulation and when the flakes will begin to fly.

Lake-effect Snow Event Could Spell Trouble for Holiday Travelers

Several areas located downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario have been put under Winter Storm Watches by the National Weather Service (NWS) as a lake-effect snowstorm is waiting on the horizon. The watches go into effect late Wednesday and continue through at least Friday evening.

Although the snow will help to create a winter wonderland heading into the first week of the meteorological winter, the timing of the wintry precipitation will also create headaches for holiday travelers. Forecasters are warning that times of whiteout conditions could snarl travel during the busy holiday week.

The first major lake-effect snow event of the season is shaping up to be a real doozy. The computer models are showing an increased confidence that a strip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula will pick up snow measured in feet rather than inches. In addition, the typical lake snowbelts downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario will also see the chance of life-threatening snow on the roadways.