More than 1,300 U.S. flights delayed amid severe weather during post-Thanksgiving travel

More than 1,300 flights into or out of U.S. airports were delayed as of late Sunday morning during the post-Thanksgiving travel rush as severe weather, including rain, heavy winds and snow, swept through major cities.
Nearly 55 million people were expected to travel 50 miles or more from their homes this Thanksgiving weekend — a 98% increase over pre-pandemic levels, according to the AAA. In addition to the 1,333 flights delayed as of 11:45 a.m. ET, 52 U.S. flights had been canceled, according to FlightAware.com.
Wind advisories were in place Sunday for about 14 million people across the Ohio Valley and Southeast, including Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; and Asheville, North Carolina.
A wind gust of 53 mph was reported early Sunday morning in Kentucky. Gusts this afternoon will range from 25 to 35 mph.
On Sunday morning, rain pounded the Southeast, mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions, threatening morning travel for cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Nashville and Charlotte, North Carolina.
This cluster of rain will continue to move to the Northeast, bringing the heaviest downpours to New York City, Washington, D.C., and Boston early to mid-afternoon Sunday.
Rain will mainly end by late afternoon and early evening across the Northeast but some scattered showers may linger late Sunday night into early Monday morning for parts of New England, with a transition of rain to snow for some across northern Maine.
Storm totals will range from 0.5 to 1.25 inches of rain across the eastern third of the country.
Another developing storm system has continued to bring heavy rain in addition to mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest this weekend with winter weather and storm alerts in place from Washington to Colorado, according to the weather service.
The heaviest snow on Sunday will impact parts of the Cascades and Northern Rockies with totals generally ranging from 2 to 7 inches and localized amounts above 15 inches possible for higher elevations and mountain passes. It will also be quite windy, with gusts up to 65 mph possible, which will reduce visibility tremendously and make travel hazardous.
Snow from this system will dip south on Monday, impacting Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. Snowfall totals will range from 6 to 12 inches, with localized higher amounts possible in the higher elevations, according to the weather service. Wind gusts will also remain high in this region to start the week, with gusts around 30 to 50 mph.
Looking ahead, this storm system will bring an enhanced risk for severe weather across the Middle and Lower Mississippi Valley on Tuesday.