Holiday Travel: Weather Woes Across the Nation

Holiday travel this Friday might be a bit of a hassle due to wild weather across the country. The Northeast is bracing for strong winds and heavy rain, while the West is dealing with fire risks and storms. In the Northeast, a massive storm is moving east, bringing strong winds and rain. Areas from Appalachia to New England and coastal Maine will feel the strongest gusts. Rain and wind will stick around from D. C. to Boston until evening. Airports in the Northeast might see delays because of this messy weather. Lake-effect snow will also start in the region, but things should calm down by evening. The weekend looks milder, except for some lingering gusts and snow around the Great Lakes. Out West, it's a different kind of trouble. Parts of Colorado and Wyoming are under extreme fire danger due to dry and windy conditions. Denver is under a rare "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Red Flag Warning, with winds between 45-55 mph and gusts up to 80-110 mph. This makes it very easy for fires to spread quickly. Other areas like the Texas panhandle, west-central Nebraska, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming are also under Red Flag Warnings. Wind gusts here could reach up to 50 mph. Over 100, 000 people in Colorado are already dealing with power outages because of the wildfire risk.On the West Coast, rain, wind, and some snow are expected. A lingering system is shifting south, bringing an additional 1 to 4 inches of rain to western Oregon, southwest Washington, and northwest California. A Flood Watch is in effect for coastal Oregon and Washington until early Saturday morning, as rivers and streams could rise to record levels. Some mountain resorts in California, like Boreal Mountain and Soda Springs Mountain Resort, have paused operations until the weather clears. They hope the storm will help build up the snowpack for a great winter season ahead. Over the weekend, more rain is expected from Washington down to California. A coastal storm will bring rain and wind to nearly the entire West Coast by Christmas. For the rest of the country, the holiday week will be much milder and warmer.