Thanksgiving travelers in the New York City can expect a most unwelcome guest this holiday: A Nor’easter expected to hit the region at full force on the busiest traveling day of the year.
The storm, which the Weather Channel named Winter Storm Boreas, will reach New York City Tuesdayevening and last until Thursday. New York City will face up to four inches of rain and wind gusts up to 50 mph.
“The heavier rainfall will be more Wednesday morning through Wednesday night,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Lauren Nash. As for the wind, “It’s definitely strong wind for this time of year.”
Airlines at New York City-area airports are taking a wait-and-see approach to possible travel disruptions due to the storm. Reps for Jet Blue and United Airlines said there are no flight cancellations in New York City at this time. Delta is waiving fees for Wednesday travelers who decide to fly by Nov. 30.
Still, the impending storm has scrambled travel plans.
Anna Dutkowsky, a 21-year-old student at New York University who was planning a bus ride to Syracuse Wednesday, had to buy a new Greyhound ticket for Tuesdayto avoid weather-related delays.
“I’d be traveling the day before Thanksgiving, so there’s a possibility that I would get in at the wee hours of the morning and that’s not really acceptable,” Dutkowsky said. “I can’t really afford to lose any time to the weather.”
Miranda Garrison,a 24-year-old Williamsburg resident who works in public relations, said the impending storm is making her plan ahead for her Tuesday night holiday trip to North Carolina out of LaGuardia.
“I plan to show up early and potentially get on stand by,” Garrison said. “I know exactly what it fels like to be stuck at the airport, not able to get out in time for the holidays.”
“Having a cane and carrying a bag makes it doubly difficult,” Hafner said.
While the worst of the Nor’easter is expected to end by Thanksgiving, there is still a possibility of light snowfall and wind gusts up to 35 mph.
That could put a crimp on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Under city guidelines, there will be no giant balloon characters with wind conditions beyond 23 mph and wind gusts exceeding 34 mph, according to Macy’s Parade spokesman Orlando Veras.
But Veras said Macy’s works with the NYPD to determine “if the balloons will fly and at what heights.”
“A decision is made based on real-time on the scene weather data not forecasts,” he said. and Jennifer Ross)
