WPBN: The snow and rain that have hampered travel in the Northeast after the holidays are expected to continue well into the week, putting around 5 million people in the Great Lakes and southern Appalachians under winter weather alerts Monday morning.
Since the start of the current winter storm, parts of New York have already gotten up to 58 inches, or nearly five feet, of snow, with Erie, Pennsylvania, receiving at least 30 inches.
Lake-effect snow warnings are still in place for Cleveland and Erie, Pennsylvania, with snow in regions downwind of Lake Erie expected to last at least into Wednesday, meaning that many people are still suffering from the winter storm.
In other areas, Syracuse, New York, and the Michigan peninsulas are under winter storm warnings and advisories.
On Monday, affected areas may receive 1 to 2 inches of snow per hour, which would impair visibility and perhaps create dangerous circumstances.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the Ohio Valley, the mid-Atlantic, and portions of the Plains will be 10 to 15 degrees below normal.
On one of the busiest travel days of the year, an Arctic blast raced through northern states on Sunday, bringing perilous conditions to the Great Lakes, the Midwest, and the northern Plains.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on X that the restriction on buses, commercial trucks, and tractor-trailer trucks would cease at two in the morning ET.
8:05PM – Here is the latest radar imagery, noticing the band of lake effect snow (highlighted in yellow) intensifying again as it heads across Lake Erie and into Lake County. Expect increased snowfall rates once again! #ohwx pic.twitter.com/vFgD8JwD9k
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) December 2, 2024
State police in a life-saving rescue
New York State Troopers had to rescue a 64-year-old woman who had become trapped on a snowy highway while traveling for a heart transplant procedure.
A battery-operated pump kept the woman’s heart beating as her husband drove her from Rochester to Cleveland for the crucial treatment. The spouse managed to get in touch with a Cleveland nurse who alerted state police.
Before being transported to Cleveland for the transplant, the troopers took her to a nearby hospital.
“The actions of the Troopers, medical staff, and transportation teams highlight how critical teamwork and quick thinking can save lives, even in the face of severe weather conditions,” New York State Police stated.
The agency reported that it assisted 111 disabled vehicles and looked into 82 crashes that caused property damage and seven collisions that caused personal injuries during the winter weather that lasted from Thanksgiving through Sunday.
đź“… 11/30 3 PM ET:
⌚ Tonight & Sunday morning:🥶 A Freeze Warning is in effect for much of the area away from the Gulf coast.
🌡️ Temperatures of 27 to 32 degrees.🥶 A Frost Advisory is in effect for Gulf coastal areas.
🌡️ Temperatures of 33 to 38 degrees.#GAwx #FLwx #ALwx pic.twitter.com/MlKl2DcxBk— NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) November 30, 2024
With temperatures in Tallahassee of about 33 degrees Fahrenheit, significantly below the seasonal average, and a freeze warning affecting 3 million people in northern Florida and southern Georgia, the Southeast is not immune to the cold wave.
Will the Cold Front Bring Snow to Florida? Here’s the Forecast
Record-breaking holiday weekend travel
According to the Transportation Security Administration, 2.8 million people are expected to travel this Thanksgiving holiday, which is one million higher than on the same day in 2023.
People returning home from visiting loved ones were observed trekking from toll booths to terminals on Sunday due to the heavy traffic at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
Although the airport reported that traffic conditions had eased on X late Sunday, it still recommended that travelers give their flight more time.
