Northeast is set to be battered by SNOW that could derail Thanksgiving travel for millions of Americans

Winter weather across the country is forecast to bring heavy rains and snowy conditions to the Northeast and portions of the Rockies that could cause post-holiday travel delays.

A coastal storm moving northeast off the East Coast could bring rain and snow to parts of the mid-Atlantic and New England, predicts AccuWeather.

The winter weather could cause wet roads and flight delays by Sunday - when people are returning from their Thanksgiving travels - the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen a record breaking 2.9 million passengers.

Drivers are advised to prepare for delays due ponding on roadways and reduced visibility, particulary motorists traveling on roadways including interstates 90, 91 and 95.

AAA projects 55.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their home over the Thanksgiving holiday. They estimate 49.13 million of them will travel by car and 4.69 million will fly.

On Wednesday, snow fell across parts in northern New England, including up to 6 inches of snowfall in Vermont, reported NBC Boston. 

Snow is expected to hit the northern Rocky Mountains on Thanksgiving Day, bringing up to 1 foot of snow to parts of Wyoming by Friday. 

Eastern Virginia, Maryland and Delaware are forecast to get hit with rain Sunday before spreading into New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York by Sunday night. By Monday, wet conditions will spead across New England.

Areas such as Boston; Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island are thought to reach 0.50-1.00 inch of rainfall.

As the storm moves northeastward, it will meet with cold air and snow is forecasted across portions of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine late Sunday night into Monday.

Drivers are cautioned to allow extra time as the snow could created slippery travel.

Snow is also forecast to spread across the Rockies to the Midwest over the holiday weekend due to an artic blast.

The Denver metro area could get one to four inches of snow, spreading to southwestern Nebraska and southeastern Wyoming, where three to six inches could be in store.

Heavy snow is forecasted for the central Colorado mountains, Wyoming and mountains in northern New Mexico from Thursday to Friday. 

Snowfall in those areas could range from 6-18 inches with some even reaching 24 inches. Slippery and snow-covered roads are expected along Interstates 25, 70, 76 and 80 in the region. 

The day before Thanksgiving saw massive numbers of travelers reaching record numbers and causing massive lines at airports and roadway traffic jams.

Amtrak said it was expecting 750,000 passengers between Nov. 19 and Nov. 26. and said travelers could see some boarding delays this weekend because of high passenger volumes. 

Airports reported 59 flight cancellations into, out of or within the U.S. on Wednesday and 2,750 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a tracking service. 

FlightAware said anything less than 300 cancellations and 4,000 delays per day is considered very good. 

Delta Air Lines advised passengers to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their flight if they are traveling within the United States, three hours early if they’re flying overseas — and suggest arriving earlier on Sunday and Monday. 

AAA said the nationwide average for gas was down to $3.28 a gallon on Wednesday, compared with $3.63 a year ago.

Airfares in October were down 13 percent from last year, according to government figures, and fares around Thanksgiving have been about 14 percent lower than a year ago, according to the travel site Hopper. 

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a news conference Monday that the government has tried to better prepare for holiday travel over the last year.

He said measures like hiring more air traffic controllers, opening new air routes along the East Coast and providing grants to airports for snowplows and deicing equipment had been put in place.

But he warned travelers to check road conditions and flight times before leaving home. 'Mother Nature, of course, is the X factor in all of this,' he said.