A landstorm, a blast of Arctic air and an outbreak of showers and thunderstorms threaten to paralyze traffic and cause delays at airports during Thanksgiving weekend, one of the country’s busiest travel times.

A powerful storm that brought snow across the West is expected to blast the Colorado Rocky Mountains before moving further east and bringing heavy rain to the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys Wednesday evening. According to the National Weather Service, the Thanksgiving storm is expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of snow across the northern Appalachians, while rain drenches major cities across the Northeast.

Roads across Colorado were closed Wednesday as crews worked to clear snow from major roads, according to the state Department of Transportation. The Federal Aviation Administration said flights departing from Denver and Salt Lake City International “will be sprayed with de-icing fluid to remove snow and ice.” No major delays have been announced.

More: Which states could see snow on Thanksgiving Day 2024? See forecast cards

Showers and thunderstorms will drench much of the I-95 corridor late Wednesday and into Turkey Day, hitting cities like Philadelphia, Washington DC, New York City and Boston, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. Rain is also forecast for parts of the Southeast, including northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

Communities across the Great Lakes region could see the worst of upcoming holiday weather, with several feet of snow and whiteout conditions predicted. Parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio and western New York could experience snowfall rates of up to 2 to 3 inches per hour, with the heaviest bands of snow reducing visibility near zero and posing a dangerous hazard that will prompt warnings from Weather authorities and local authorities.

Crews work to clear snow-covered roads in Colorado

Roads across Colorado, including the Denver and Boulder metro areas, were closed Wednesday morning as snow continued to fall, disrupting Thanksgiving travelers.

Among the dozens of roads closed was a section of U.S. Route 50 for “snow removal operations,” according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. U.S. Route 50, a major highway intersection in Colorado, runs across the country from West Sacramento, California, to Ocean City, Maryland.

The Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that it has suspended until the spring a pavement resurfacing project on U.S. Route 34 and U.S. Route 36 that included improvements to sidewalks and retaining walls along both major roads.

“This pause is important to ensure the safety of both the traveling public and work personnel during winter weather,” the state agency said in a statement. “The work is scheduled to resume in the spring until the end of May 2025.”

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Winter storm watches for the Northeast warn of icy roads and poor visibility

In parts of the Midwest and Northeast, winter storm watches warned of heavy lake snow and treacherous driving conditions over the long holiday weekend.

In Cleveland and Maine, weather officials expected more than 7 inches of snow to fall through Tuesday. The National Weather Service office in Buffalo, New York, warned of more than a foot of heavy lake snowfall and wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour.

“There is uncertainty regarding the exact placement and amount of bands, but multiple periods of heavy snowfall are possible. Travel could be very difficult if not impossible with very poor visibility and deep snow cover on the roads,” the bureau said in a weather alert. “Some key roads may be temporarily closed. The dangerous conditions could impact post-Thanksgiving travel, particularly along Interstate 81.”

Arctic blast brings bitter cold to central eastern US

An Arctic blast is sending temperatures across the northern Plains, Midwest and eastern United States plummeting to lows not seen since last winter.

While the first subzero temperatures set in before Thanksgiving in the Dakotas and Minnesota, temperatures in and around Dallas, Texas and Atlanta could fall near freezing for the first time this season. Temperatures could reach single digits in Chicago on Friday morning.

“The cold snap will feel like January, delivering a significant shock to hundreds of millions of people who may have become accustomed to warm conditions for much of the fall,” AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

Meteorologists expect the cool air to arrive in waves in December, which is expected to be significantly colder than last year for the Midwest and Northeast. “We expect temperatures this December to be perhaps a few degrees below the historical average, with a difference of about 15 degrees for the entire month,” Pastelok said.

A record number of people are traveling for Thanksgiving

According to the American Automobile Association, about 79.9 million people will travel 50 miles or more from their homes on Thanksgiving Tuesday through Monday. This represents an increase of 1.7 million compared to the previous year and 2 million more than in 2019.

Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said she expects “new records in everything from driving to flying and cruising.”

The Transportation Security Administration also said it expects the busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record and estimates its agents will screen 18.3 million people from Tuesday through Dec. 2. TSA Administrator David Pekoske said the 10 busiest travel days in TSA history all occurred in 2024, adding, “We expect this trend to continue.”

Contributors: John Bacon, Doyle Rice and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The storm forecast for Thanksgiving calls for snow, rain and bitter cold