Traffic
East Coast Thanksgiving: 'Micro Blizzards' Could Disrupt Travel
New York, NY – Imagine heading north on Interstate 95 for Thanksgiving when a wall of blowing snow suddenly sweeps across the highway. Within seconds, vehicles ahead become difficult to see, brake lig
By Blake Harrison · 2026-11-14T11:32:42.252Z
New York, NY – Imagine heading north on Interstate 95 for Thanksgiving when a wall of blowing snow suddenly sweeps across the highway. Within seconds, vehicles ahead become difficult to see, brake lights fade into the whiteout and a routine holiday trip turns dangerous.
It's a scenario East Coast travelers should understand before Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 26, particularly when driving through New England, upstate New York or the inland Mid Atlantic.
According to the National Weather Service NWS , snow squalls are brief, intense bursts of snowfall that can produce gusty winds, near zero visibility and rapidly deteriorating road conditions. Sometimes informally described as "micro blizzards," they can create dangerous highway conditions within minutes.
East Coast Highways Where Whiteouts Are a Concern Interstate 95, stretching through Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, carries substantial holiday traffic.
Farther inland, Interstate 81 through Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, Interstate 87 in New York, and Interstate 90 across Massachusetts and New York can also experience sudden winter hazards.
Drivers near Albany, NY; Scranton, PA; Worcester, MA; and Portland, ME, should monitor forecasts when snow showers and gusty winds are possible.
Snow squalls are more common in colder northern and inland areas than along the southeastern coastline. Mountain routes and areas downwind of the Great Lakes may face additional snowfall hazards.
Not every heavy snow shower qualifies as a snow squall, but rapid visibility loss can be dangerous in either case.
What Happens When a Snow Squall Warning Is Issued? The NWS issues Snow Squall Warnings when dangerous snow squalls are occurring or imminent.
Warnings generally last 30 to 60 minutes and may trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts on compatible mobile phones.
Sudden whiteouts at interstate speeds can increase the risk of multivehicle crashes, especially when drivers brake abruptly or follow too closely.
What Thanksgiving Travelers Should Do If a Snow Squall Warning affects a planned route, delay travel until conditions improve .
Drivers already traveling should gradually reduce speed, increase following distance, use low beam headlights and avoid sudden braking.
If visibility becomes dangerously poor, safely exit the highway when possible rather than stopping in an active travel lane.
Before departing, check NWS weather alerts and official state 511 services for road conditions, closures and travel advisories.
Travelers crossing multiple states should review the entire route, not just conditions near their departure city.
This is a Thanksgiving travel preparedness reminder, not a prediction that snow squalls will strike the East Coast during the holiday. Understanding how quickly visibility can disappear could help families make safer decisions on some of the nation's busiest holiday highways.