Post-Christmas travel could be delayed by a major snowstorm

December 25, 2025 Cosmopolite
Post-Christmas travel could be delayed by a major snowstorm

Snow, freezing rain and sleetthreaten to snarl travel for those heading home after the Christmas holiday across parts of the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, forecasters said.

Snow is expected to develop on Christmas Day in the Northeast and later in the day in the upper Midwest. By Dec. 26, a second system will bring a wintry mix to a stretch from Michigan across Pennsylvania and into the upper Mid-Atlantic, the National Weather Service said.

"This winter storm is likely to generate treacherous travel conditions and delays following Christmas Day," the weather service said.

An estimated 122.4 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles over the end-of-year holiday season, including nearly 110 million who will travel by car, according to AAA.

South Boston residents dig their cars out of the snow on Farragut Road on Jan. 22, 1978, following a massive storm over the previous weekend. Two men using jump leads in an attempt to start a car after heavy snow fell on New York City, New York, on Nov. 7, 1978. A dinosaur sculpted from snow is pictured in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, following the The shattered roof of an auditorium at the C.W. Post Center of Long Island University in Greenvale, New York, lies in ruins, Jan. 21, 1978, after the weight of a heavy snow and ice storm caved in the roof. No injuries were reported. A would-be motorist has his work cut out for him on Hallam Street in Dorchester, Massachusetts, on March 4, 1978, following a storm that dropped 9.2 inches of snow on top of the remains of February's blizzard. A squirrel watches the snow fall from a tree near Fresh Pond in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Nov. 21, 1978. Red Cross workers search for victims buried in cars following snowfall during the Blizzard of 1977. Only about 12 inches of new snow fell during this event but high winds coupled with existing snow in western New York and accumulated snow on the surface of frozen Lake Erie combined to cause major difficulties. A man and a woman digging out their car after it was buried under snow during a blizzard in Chicago, Illinois, on Jan. 14, 1979. New Yorkers navigate their way as the snow falls on Times Square in Manhattan, New York City, New York, on Feb. 7, 1979. An early winter morning overlooking New York City in 1978.

Let it snow! Revisit one of the coldest decades in the US.

Snow storm could snarl travel, cause power outages

The fast-moving storm could impact millions with travel disruptions and power outages, AccuWeather reported. Several inches could accumulate on roads. A buildup of ice and snow can also cause downed tree limbs and power lines.

A quarter of an inch of freezing rain accumulation is expected across Pennsylvania, while snow is set to form in the upper peninsula of Michigan and "moderate to heavy snow" will reach New England on Dec. 26 and into Dec. 27, the weather service said.

More:Flooding risk forces Southern Californians from homes on Christmas

More than 6 inches of snow could fall in parts of New York, northeast Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey. The Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia metro areas could also see hazardous ice.

"This could be the biggest snowstorm of the season so far for New York City," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys.

A woman walks through the snow with an umbrella in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

How much snow is expected in this winter storm?

See the arrival times for snow across the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Christmas Day and Dec. 26, 2025.

The greatest snowfall will happen in interior areas from the Catskill Mountains to northeastern Pennsylvania, with 6 to 12 inches, according to AccuWeather. The outlet predicted this much snow in major cities:

  • Hartford, Connecticut: 3-6 inches

  • New York City: 3-6 inches

  • Syracuse, New York: 3-6 inches

  • Boston: 1-3 inches

  • Philadelphia: 1-3 inches

  • Baltimore: Coating to an inch

  • Washington: Coating to an inch

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Winter storm to bring snow, icy conditions for post-Christmas travel

 

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