State College, Pa. — AccuWeather.com — AccuWeather.com reports areas of wind-driven rain and snow will challenge even the heartiest shoppers on Black Friday from the Great Lakes to the coastal Northeast.
The track of the storm is still questionable as a jog farther east or west than now anticipated could mean the difference between rain and snow at your location.
That being said, it is looking more likely the area destined to be hit by snow will stretch from the mountains of West Virginia to eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, upstate and western New York and southern Ontario.
In the higher ground over this region, there could be several inches or more with slushy or snow covered roads.
Interstates that could be affected in this area include 70, 71, 77, 79, 80, 86 and 90.
As is typically the case, elevation and proximity to the shore of lakes Erie and Ontario will play a role. Lower elevations close to the lake will tend to get a mixture of rain and snow, or the snow may simply not stick to roads.
Farther west, narrow bands of heavy lake-effect snow can slow travel over the traditional snow belts of northern Michigan and Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, the most likely scenario for the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to New York City to Portland, Maine, drenching rain can easily lead to not only delays, but also flooding in poor drainage areas.
Fortunately, it appears the rain will end early Friday from Philadelphia southward to the nation’s capital.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski
LOL at thinking anything short of a nuclear holocaust could stop Black Friday shoppers. These people aren’t human actually, so weather doesn’t affect them.