Thanksgiving Begins on a Chilly Note

The long Thanksgiving weekend began on a chilly note for those dwelling along the East Coast as a messy blast of rain and snow threatened to upset traffic and disrupt flights for scores of Americans.

Thanksgiving is usually the busiest time of the year traffic-wise, be it land or air. The National Weather Service stated that the travellers from the Carolinas to New England could witness a good amount of snow, while the entire East Coast will experience bouts of rain, NPR reports.

National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Orrison informed that cities like New York, Boston and Portland and Maine could see up to 12 inches of snow.

The central Plains witnessed light snow Wednesday and cities like St. Louis, Minneapolis and Des Moines are expected to see 1 to 3 inches of snow. Heavy spells of snow fell in the northern Rockies, mostly in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

New Jersey state climatologist David Robinson said that travel will be difficult in most areas, but in those areas that will experience heaviest snow, it will become almost impossible to travel for some time, USA Today reports.

Most schools and businesses remained closed in some areas, and state government offices allowed the workers to go home early.

"Either way, travel is not going to be in a good state," Orrison said.   

According to Reuters, tracking website FlightAware.com stated that more than 650 flights into and around the United States were cancelled Wednesday and more than 3200 were delayed.

The airports in New York and Philadelphia were hit the hardest.

However, it must be mentioned that Long Beach, Calif., set a record high of 87 degrees Wednesday.