A big snowfall started to hit towns along Lake Erie in upstate New York and northwestern Pennsylvania last Friday and Saturday, bringing hazardous conditions for Thanksgiving travelers. Heavy snowfall has led to a state of emergency declaration in parts of New York and a disaster declaration in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, scores of people took refuge in a Holiday Inn hotel near I-90 after the roads became impassable.
In Michigan, nearly two feet of snow has fallen, with some areas receiving over two feet. In Pennsylvania’s northwestern tip, 29 inches of snow was recorded. The National Weather Service is warning of extremely difficult and hazardous travel conditions over the weekend, especially in areas where multiple feet of snow may accumulate quickly.
The frigid Arctic air has brought cold temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees below average to the Northern Plains, prompting cold-weather advisories over parts of North Dakota. The weather service is expecting cold air to move over the eastern third of the US by Monday, with temperatures about 10 degrees below average.
The waves of frigid air are expected to continue through the holidays, bringing continued cold and heavy snow to the Great Lakes and Midwest regions. In the Deep South, temperatures have fallen below freezing, while in the mountains of northern Georgia the temperature has dropped to around 22 degrees Fahrenheit.