Just because no snow is predicted to fall over NYC this Christmas, it doesn’t mean you’re in the clear for holiday travel.
A possible ‘bomb cyclone,’ dubbed Winter Storm Elliott by The Weather Channel, is expected to travel through Central and Eastern US just before Christmas.
A bomb cyclone occurs when a storm drops 24 millibars in pressure in one day. According to CNN, this week’s storm “will bomb out Friday night into Saturday morning, making this a bomb cyclone before entering the Northeast and New England.”
Though the Midwest is expected to be hit the hardest (looking out for our friends in Chicago), the blizzard conditions are forecasted to bring high winds and plenty of rain to the New York area, according to The Weather Channel. Such strong winds could lead to possible power outages stretching along the Midwest to the Northeast, reports the National Weather Service.
A winter storm forming along an incoming Arctic front is forecast to produce heavy snow & blizzard conditions for much of the Midwest & Great Lakes starting late Wednesday & through Christmas Eve. Extremely dangerous travel conditions are likely Thursday into Christmas Eve. pic.twitter.com/HrtfDqDBi5
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) December 20, 2022
Snow is forecasted to fall beginning Thursday evening and potentially through Christmas weekend over the Midwest. Cities like Chicago are expecting more than a foot of snow.
In addition to major snowfall expected for regions of the Midwest and Great Lakes, an arctic blast will bring record cold temperatures to cities across the nation. For those in the Northeast, it could be the coldest Christmas in over two decades, shared CNN.
Strong low pressure will track to the west of the area Thursday night into Friday. Keep an eye on the forecast over the next few days at https://t.co/iPHXiBzUvC pic.twitter.com/WDK9IEavUr
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) December 19, 2022
The National Weather Service has released a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Southern New York, noting possible coastal flooding coming to the south shores of Long Island and NYC Friday morning.
An extreme, and potentially dangerous, temperature crash is also expected to happen Friday afternoon, with NYC seeing temperatures of 50 degrees at 3p.m. before plunging below freezing within three to four hours. Due to this, travelers are urged to use caution when driving since wet surfaces could quickly turn to ice by the time people hit the road for holiday travel.
Major airlines have already issued travel waivers for flights in and out of the Midwest and Northeast this week, including United, American, Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit and more.
For example, those that are traveling to, through, or from JFK or LaGuardia will have their change fee waived if the following pertains to them:
- Are traveling on an American Airlines flight
- Are booked in any fare class, including Basic Economy
- Bought your ticket by December 19, 2022
- Are scheduled to travel December 22 – 24, 2022
- Can travel December 19 – 30, 2022
- Don’t change your origin or destination city
- Rebook in the same cabin or pay the difference
Additionally, anyone with travel plans between December 22 and December 25 won’t be charged change fees or fare differences for United flights, as long as the cabin stays the same and the ticket was purchased prior to December.
Alerts may change depending on the weather and airline, so anyone traveling is advised to check their flight.
“With such a large and powerful storm system impacting a majority of the Nation during one of the biggest travel weeks of the year, it is imperative that travelers check the latest forecast before venturing out,” warns the National Weather Service.
Stay safe out there New Yorkers and have a lovely holiday!