NEW YORK – Winter weather warnings have been issued from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast as the region threatens to be hit by a powerful winter storm bringing snow, heavy rain and strong winds just as millions of people prepare to travel ahead of the busy Thanksgiving holiday.

While Thanksgiving travel is set to peak next week, some people have decided to head out early and pack airports in hopes of beating the summit holiday hast. That’s because AAA said a potential record 80 million people They are expected to travel more than 50 miles from home this year.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it was also preparing for what could be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period ever and offered passengers tips to make traveling through airports as easy and stress-free as possible.

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This image shows the progress of a powerful storm that is expected to hit areas from the Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley, the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast with rain, snow and high winds.

(FOX Weather)

According to the FOX Forecast Center, a new low pressure area is beginning to form in the Great Lakes region and will develop rapidly through Thursday. This follows another powerful storm that brought rain and snow to parts of the Upper Midwest earlier this week.

As the storm center drifts toward the mid-Atlantic and northeast late this week, strong winds are expected to blow cold air, supporting snow from parts of the Great Lakes region to the Ohio Valley, the northern mid-Atlantic and inland. Northeast.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, forecast snow totals are increasing for New York state and higher terrain in Pennsylvania. Those hoping to leave urban areas may encounter rough driving conditions along Interstate 88 and Interstate 81.

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Due to the approaching storm, several winter weather warnings have been issued from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, including Winter Storm Watches for parts of West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York.

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for higher elevations in West Virginia, and winter weather advisories extend from parts of Tennessee and Kentucky to upstate New York.

The National Weather Service office in Binghamton, New York warned of a potential “strong winter storm” in its forecast discussion Wednesday afternoon.

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The highest snow totals are expected to fall at higher elevations in West Virginia, where more than a foot of snow could fall in some places. Computer forecast models also show snow in Pennsylvania and New York, with 6 to 8 inches of snow in some places, with somewhat higher amounts locally.

“I’ve been doing local weather in West Virginia for a while,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari. ‘Let me tell you. These mountains here pile up the snow, especially when the wind is from the northwest.”

He said one side of the mountains could have several feet of snow, while the other side could have little to no snow. If conditions are right, lake effect snow may even fall.

“You can see where the heaviest snow amounts are right there along the spine of the Appalachians,” he continued. “A lot of the really decent accumulating snow, guys, I think, is going to be mostly on the high ground.”

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Forecast rain totals have also increased, with the FOX Forecast Center now expecting 2 to 3 inches of rain for parts of New York’s Hudson River Valley, as well as parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts in New England.

“Given the drought, rainfall along the (Interstate) 95 corridor is significant,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Stephen Morgan. “Will we see more than an inch in New York City? I think there’s a pretty healthy chance in the next few days. Will it happen in one day? Maybe not. Our better chance could come Thursday through Friday.”

In addition to mitigating some of the record-breaking drought conditions, the precipitation is also expected to help combat the region’s wildfire threat.