Both U.S. coasts are experiencing inclement weather ahead of Christmas as snow travels across the East Coast while parts of the West Coast are battered by storms—which led to a partial pier collapse Monday in Santa Cruz, California—potentially affecting the busy holiday travel period, though conditions are expected to improve by Christmas Day.
A person crosses a street after an overnight snowfall on December 21, in Hoboken, New Jersey.
West Coast Storms: Areas of northern California and western Oregon are facing storms through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, with warnings of dangerously high waves, coastal flooding and thunderstorms now in effect throughout the Pacific Coast, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in eastern California will experience between two to four inches of rain plus snow in some areas.
The storm system is a continuation of the severe storms Monday that led to the Santa Cruz Wharf—approximately 80 miles south of San Francisco—partially collapsing Monday afternoon, causing three people to fall into the ocean (they only suffered minor injuries, NBC News reports).
East Coast Snow: A large portion of the region from the central Appalachians to New England will see “light to occasionally moderate” snow on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, with snow reported Tuesday morning in areas including New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia and Boston.
The snow is supposed to end by Tuesday afternoon, and temperatures in the mid-Atlantic region will rise above freezing following a days-long cold snap.
Southern Storms: Parts of eastern Texas, Arkansas and southern Missouri will get thunderstorms and rainfall that could exceed one inch in some parts through Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Mild Weather: Other parts of the country that aren’t experiencing storms should have pretty pleasant weather leading up to Christmas, with the National Weather Service noting temperatures for much of the country will be above average for December.
The snow on the East Coast is causing some worsened road conditions Tuesday morning that could impact holiday travel, with some roads in Pennsylvania and the New Jersey Turnpike reporting speed restrictions are in place as of 9:00 a.m. and icy and snowy conditions reported in some parts of Massachusetts and New York. Boston Logan Airport reports there are some flight delays due to weather and the Federal Aviation Administration reported Tuesday morning that New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Dallas/Ft. Worth International are also experiencing delays. Most other major U.S. airports are generally seeing flights departing and arriving on time as of Tuesday morning, according to the FAA. Approximately 1,448 flights within, into or out of the U.S. have so far been delayed Tuesday as of 9:30 a.m., according to FlightAware, though only 28 have been canceled.
The weather should improve across the country by Christmas Day, according to the National Weather Service, as the East Coast storm system bringing snow to the region will leave by Tuesday evening. The West Coast’s storm system will take a “brief break” on Christmas Day, the National Weather Service reported early Tuesday, before returning with another round of rain and snow in the mountains.
Christmas Eve travel was also impacted Tuesday morning by American Airlines briefly grounding all of its flights nationwide, which the airline told CNN was due to a “technical issue.” The ground stop was lifted by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
119 million. That’s the total number of Americans that are expected to travel more than 50 miles from home between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1, according to AAA, which marks a record high. That includes an approximate 107 million Americans expected to travel by car, 7.85 million by plane and 4.5 million using other means of transportation, like trains.
The snow on the East Coast means there’s a good chance for a “White Christmas” in parts of the country—which doesn’t just mean there’s some snow on the ground. The National Weather Service formally defines a “White Christmas” as there being at least one inch of snow on the ground as of Christmas morning.
AAA: Record Number of Holiday Travelers Expected to Close Out 2024 (AAA)
California wharf collapse sends 3 people into the ocean (NBC News)
American Airlines is boarding flights again, and the FAA lifts its nationwide groundstop (CNN)