Millions are heading home from the holiday to face snow and an Arctic blast

Cars drive through a snowstorm.
Motorists on I-89 near Lebanon, N.H., deal with the first snowstorm of the season on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Travelers heading home from the Thanksgiving holiday this weekend could face severe weather and travel delays.

An arctic blast will bring the “coldest air since last winter” to Eastern portions of the county, the National Weather Service (NWS) said on Friday. The air mass from the Arctic is moving across the U.S. and will stay for the weekend, while the northern Plains will see temperatures in the single digits and teens.

Northeast parts of the country will see 30 to 40-degree temperatures while 20 and 30-degree temperatures will impact the Midwest. Wind chills will dip below zero in upper portions of the Midwest and northern Plains, with Minnesota and North and South Dakota seeing wind chills below -15 degrees.