How Winter Storm Eboni Could Make Return Holiday Travel Messy for Millions of Americans
A massive amount of wet snow could make returning home for those who spent Christmas away both complicated and more than a little dangerous.
According to The Weather Channel, Winter Storm Eboni — which started in California earlier this week with wind gusts of up to 65 mph — moved into the Great Plains on Wednesday and will hit the upper Midwest and New England by Friday.
The National Weather Service has issued warnings and advisories for southern Colorado northeastward to Minnesota and to far northwestern Wisconsin as well as parts of the Rockies, the northern Plains and upper Midwest.
CNN reports that this affects about four million people, with heavy snow — up to 12 inches in some parts — wind and near-blizzard conditions expected through Friday.
What’s more, Southern parts of the country, including some 13 million people, will also be affected by inclement winter weather: In Texas, southwestern Arkansas and western Louisiana, there’s a risk of strong winds, thunderstorms, large hail and isolated tornadoes Wednesday afternoon and evening, according to The Weather Channel. Threats of flooding as a result of up to 4 inches of rain in the northern Gulf Coast persist until Friday.
According to AAA, 2018 has been a record-breaking year for holiday travel, with more than one-third of Americans hitting the road, skies or train tracks from the middle to the end of December. That’s a 4.4 percent increase from last year, the association reports.
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Before Eboni made landfall, AAA was already predicting delays of more than three times the normal travel time. Atlanta, New York City, Boston and Houston are likely to be the most congested over the next few days.
