Heavy snow and wind Wednesday will likely slow down freight flows in the Northwest, as well as drivers trying to get home for Thanksgiving.
The storm began Tuesday, dumping heavy snowfall in the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, in addition to the Blue Mountains in Oregon. Wind gusts in some parts of the Cascades were close to 60 mph Tuesday. Another 5 to 10 inches of snowfall could pile up Wednesday in the Cascades.
While winds have died down a bit, some areas of blowing snow and reduced visibility are possible. Potential trouble spots include but are not limited to Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass and U.S. Highway 2 over Stevens Pass.
Lighter amounts of snow will hit the Rockies of northern Idaho and western Montana. It may start as freezing rain, leaving a glaze of ice under the snow in some sections of Interstates 15 and 90. This may impact drivers heading over Lookout Pass.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter weather advisory for all of the areas previously mentioned.
Other Wednesday weather
Showers and thunderstorms will slow down drivers across the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, as well as portions of the Mississippi Valley. Rain could be heavy at times, and some storms could produce severe winds or isolated tornadoes in places such as New Orleans; Jackson, Mississippi; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; as well as Louisville, Kentucky.
Thanksgiving Day
Rainfall will move into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic Wednesday night through Thanksgiving Day, impacting the I-95 corridor. Sleet and snow will hit some parts of northern New England. Meanwhile, snow could return to the Rockies.
Black Friday
Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall could drench the Gulf Coast from Texas to western Florida.