A major winter storm this week could cause havoc for millions of people traveling through the Plains and the Midwest as New Year’s approaches.
This year, a record number of people are traveling across the country, most of them by car, as winter storm Eboni looms. On Tuesday, the storm caused a chain-reaction accident at 6:30 a.m. involving 40 vehicles on Southern California’s 15 Freeway, the Weather Channel reported.
Eastern Colorado, western Nebraska and the Dakotas are likely to face the worst conditions, and some states are expecting eight-to-12 inches of snow over the next few days, CNN reported. Some areas could see as much as two feet of snow.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no major travel delays had been reported.
However, “There is the potential for major travel disruptions with this storm,” Max Vido, a Long-Range Meteorologist for AccuWeather said, according to USA Today.
Winter storm warnings were issued by the National Weather Service, which said to expect heavy snowfall, and indicated possible severe thunderstorms. There is also a threat of strong, destructive winds, tornadoes, and hail, ABC News reported.
“The heaviest snow is expected south and east of Denver, but a coating to an inch of snow late Wednesday may lead to de-icing operations and delays on Thursday morning,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski. The outlet warned drivers on Interstates 25, 29, 35, 70, 80, 90, and 94 to be careful and “anticipate difficult travel.”