How bad weather will affect Thanksgiving travel across the NY East Coast

Winter weather warnings were issued for parts of New York state on Thursday as the region prepares to be hit by a powerful winter storm before millions of Americans hit the roads for Thanksgiving.

Forecasters say up to eight inches of snow could fall in some parts of the state, while other areas are likely to be drenched in some much-needed rain.

“Snow will break out, mostly over Pennsylvania and parts of central New York State. There will be heavy, wet snow throughout Thursday,” Fox Forecast Center Meteorologist Greg Diamond told The Post.

Precipitation is expected to pour across the tri-state area through at least Friday night, possibly into the weekend, Diamond added.

Areas expecting snow, including parts of northeastern Pennsylvania and south-central New York State, near Binghamton and the Catskills, could see up to eight inches of white showers.

Northern New Jersey, specifically in the area near the Jennings Creek fire, could also get dust, Diamond said.

While the snow will only continue to fall through the night, New York City can’t expect to be blanketed in white — at least not yet.

“Across eastern New England and New York City, it’s just mostly rain. A beneficial rain that will end the fire threat,” Diamond said, adding, “It’s not going to end our drought here, we need at least 10 inches of rain to it. But it will put an end to the fire problems we’ve had for the last few weeks.”

Although the weekend is likely to be clear, showers could put a damper on travel plans early next week.

By Thanksgiving next week, another storm could take shape, Diamond warned, noting, “There could be a storm system developing across the country, but it’s still pretty uncertain at this point.”

Travel impacts this Thursday

While Thanksgiving travel peaks next week, those who decided to head out early for their holiday celebrations may be in a bind due to the inclement weather.

Around As of 1:00 p.m., Newark Liberty International Airport experienced inbound flight delays of up to 45 minutes due to high winds, according to FlightAware.

John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport did not appear to be affected.

A record 80 million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles from home for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to AAA.

This is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019.