Millions of Americans who slogged through rain and snow that choked transportation before Thanksgiving now face another daunting forecast for their trip home on Sunday, officials said.
A winter storm is predicted to move into the Northeast, bringing with it heavy snow and gusty winds starting on Sunday, threatening to disrupt travel on a day expected to be the country’s busiest day of air transit ever, according to the industry group Airlines for America.
United Airlines announced waivers allowing customers flying Sunday or Monday to reschedule their trip for free. Delta issued waivers for 22 cities in the Northeast on Sunday and Monday, including Albany, Boston and New York. American Airlines waived change fees for passengers traveling Sunday and Monday through New York area hubs, Boston and Philadelphia.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch starting Sunday morning and lasting through 7 a.m. Tuesday for parts of the New York region.
Forecasters expect snow to start early on Sunday, then to change to a wintry mix Sunday afternoon and through the night before changing back to snow on Monday morning.
Snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are expected Sunday through Monday in the lower Hudson Valley, the interior of the Northeast, New Jersey and southern Connecticut, the Weather Service said.
About 1 to 4 inches of snow are expected in New York City and Long Island beginning Sunday morning. Forecasters said Boston could get 6 to 8 inches of snow and Newburyport, Mass., could get 8 to 12 inches.
Jim Hayes, a forecaster with the Weather Service, said Boston was squarely in the storm’s path, threatening a “ripple effect” of travel delays.
“When you have problems in Boston,” he said, “you can have problems in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.”
Officials warned that the expected mixed precipitation would make driving difficult and dangerous on Sunday afternoon into Monday night. Coastal areas along New York, New Jersey, Long Island and southwest Connecticut could see some minor coastal flooding during high tide on Sunday evening.
In New York, Binghamton University canceled Monday classes in anticipation of the snow.
On Friday evening, roads were already closed in Wyoming and Colorado, where forecasters said winds could reach 80 miles per hour on Saturday.
Taking its time on a wet and blustery journey, the storm took shape early in the week around the California and Oregon coast, dipped into Arizona and then rolled back up to the Rockies on its way to the East Coast.