Wicked Winter Storms Threaten to Halt Massive Holiday Travel

This is a special room. Hello I'm -- Hernandez in new York -- this is an ABC news digital special report just in time for the holiday is. Winter weather is sweeping through eastern states from the... See More

This is a special room. Hello I'm -- Hernandez in new York -- this is an ABC news digital special report just in time for the holiday is. Winter weather is sweeping through eastern states from the Carolinas all the way up to New England. And in its -- travel delays as millions of Americans try to make their way home for Thanksgiving. With all the latest were joined by ABC's Marcy Intel's braving the elements in Secaucus new here. Hi -- like Carolina New Jersey Turnpike it's pretty stopping gold but elsewhere. The rough weather has created pretty serious problems -- -- -- people. Just trying to make it home for Thanksgiving. Soggy. Flick. And slow mother nature making a mass of one of -- busiest travel days of the year. Very stressful -- when he states across the East Coast and parts of the south -- half of this untimely storm that's causing delays. -- got to witness reports in it's. And headaches for some of the nearly two and a half million people expected to travel by air today -- slowed everything -- every minute panic. That free Turkey -- panic also extending to the whales. I dismissed my connection. Albany. And I'm hyperventilating. -- triple -- says more than 90% of travelers today are dry day and they have their own problems. But as much as seven inches of snow expected in some parts of the northeast some of the roads already snow covered. And icy. Causing hundreds of accidents including this one in Pennsylvania. -- more than a dozen students to the hospital. In Florida and North Carolina instead of heading -- some people are stuck staying behind cleaning up after suspected tornadoes tore through. The neighbors were -- his chimney. Was in our backyard and the wind is expected to pick up throughout the day in some places threatening to ground the balloons for tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day parade. But today people will be giving thanks when this trying travel day isn't -- Those so true especially with temperatures expected to drop significantly throughout the day -- more icy roads and the potential for more accidents. And gridlock. Tied back to you in Marcy that's terrible timing here power travelers handling -- this added stress. -- the -- that I talk you out here earlier today seems to be handling it pretty well they said. They knew to expect bad -- so they bored and left extra early and if they -- ten be stressful at times that -- will be well worth that. As they travel to be what their loved ones. Any mention the deep freeze to come -- parts of the country will see the worst of that. Well we will definitely be feeling it here in the northeast but -- extreme cold temperatures will be all the way down into Florida with the Gulf Coast. Expecting temperatures in the 20s by tomorrow morning. -- ABC's Martha Gonzales thank you for joining us. And we're joined now by AccuWeather expert senior meteorologist Bernie -- -- Bernie let's. Just take a look twelve hours into the futures these freezing temperatures move in how much of the country's going to be affected. Blog. Good chunk of the east -- happen the United States certainly the midway have as your correspondent just said parts of the southeast. -- even than -- in the sixties in Florida although here in the northeast sixty sounds pretty good. Also the wind is going to play a bid and -- Our role in the weather over the next -- -- for we're strong gusty winds Philadelphia New York City. Right up in the Boston and new England and boy what we're talking about the cold again in the south. Don't forget we just went over a period in Texas where they had January like cold. This past weekend and that continues even today. -- -- we're kind of effect does this cold and when -- on the ground of those who are driving or riding home after Thanksgiving have to be extra cautious. Well -- you know it's got a funny the wind we're talking about how comfortable that's going to feel especially tonight and tomorrow but remember it's that wind. That will help -- the roads especially in the northeast before the at temperatures dipped below freezing. One thing you have to worry about -- over the next twelve hours we still a little band of snow across Virginia that's going to be shooting in north and with these words so. Eastern parts of Pennsylvania even around New York City I'm afraid there could be a little burst of snow at some point this evening -- and -- -- road to make. Things slippery. And also be careful if you're traveling tonight New York State Pennsylvania been around New York City later on tonight. Bridges and overpasses. Always become a little slippery first. All right Bernie how big is this weather system we're dealing with at this one front -- northeast -- but he several colliding into each other. Well you know that this has been a pretty big storm because remember it was its start at all last weekend in the southwest with the rain. We had ice and snow in Texas on Sunday. Then this soaking rains in the southeast even a tornado in southeastern North Carolina. This storm is very large it's a typical storm that we can see this time of the year. It is moving away but those large storms not only do they bring a lot of precipitation but they can move cold air. And that's why the cold is -- whole -- out over the next 24 hours at the weekend we look forward to some relief and yeah hey I'm doing some shopping on Friday but I'm -- -- on the lot because that is going to be cold little windy as we head into the weekend much of the country is going to be -- The only exception is going to be the Pacific northwest they've been dried chili. What they're gonna turn wet and we could be looking at travel problems the mountain passes of the Washington in the wording cascades as we go to the we. Kent all right AccuWeather is Bernie -- out thank you for joining us. My pleasure and that Westchester County now in New York for WBZ's Joseph Torres is standing by Joseph what can you tell us about travel conditions up there in Westchester -- just a bit north of New York City. -- -- -- Big problem here in Westchester County were on the Bronx River Parkway you know it is the major north south court -- that runs from Westchester County down into the Bronx we are literally on the parkway here right at the point where authorities have closed the road because of flooding and I'll show -- the flooding problem in a moment right here's where drivers are forced off the road. Up there on the Tarrytown road. Actually it's the drivers out there who -- the right and try to get on the parkway here and then suddenly realize all the partly closed time to find another problem. Another another -- road way to get to where they're going. Down -- by that bridge is really where the water starts to -- -- this is the Bronx River Parkway it's called that because it runs right along. The Bronx River the Bronx River is just over on the other side of that guardrail. The water will literally come over and it has already today it's starting to -- a little bit. But it'll come over the parkway over the roadway onto the parkway and that's what sports is authorities to sort of closed down the highway. More concerns the temperature Italian is already starting to plummet so after the water goes down any residual that is still on the highway the theory is that's going to free east come later today as people leave for Warrick and -- and head home to see their relatives and make it to their Thanksgiving Day dinner. One other thing to point out. After the water drains from here. All the leaves -- in the middle of the highway so the work then becomes a cleanup job to get the leaves off and then here I -- show it. And then to clear out the storm drains a lot of them end up looking just like this right here. They get stuffed with all the debris and all the -- the water doesn't drain. So the roadway won't be open for quite some time and this problem -- is on the Bronx River Parkway. This rain brook parkway the Hutchinson River Parkway all of them have a little water associated with them and the result is all of those roads that go north south from Westchester. Down into the city. Get -- and flooding -- a big big problem. But that's the latest the way things are here hopefully the -- open up a little bit later today I'm sure you'll hear about it when that happens. And -- you. And thank you -- how how has this set concerns is the concern shifting up from overnight rain and snow to the freezing weather on the horizon as well. Yes that mean that that's the concern because people -- starting nowhere to get aware of it. Also the big concern a lot of people had errands to run today I can't tell you how many people we've talked into the told us they were going to pick up the centerpiece. For the Thanksgiving Day dinner table what lady was going to get hurt Turkey. So they're trying to run errands today and there's not much time in between the flooding. From this morning and the freezing that's anticipated later in the day so yeah you could see some worried faces on the minds in the -- on the faces of people as -- donor out. Looking at their watches saying I don't have much time. And the and the problem is everyone is thinking the same way so the roads are pretty crowded getting this shopping centers in the grocery stores and all those places that you need to go. He's not going to be easy today it's a bit of a challenge for shore. And at -- scene authorities out there are trying to make it a safer holiday trip what are some of their efforts today. Yes I mean that the authorities that we've seen are mostly the road crews the road crews have been out. Literally with pitchforks in hand is trying to clear -- storm drains we got video earlier today you know it's bad when they're breaking out the plows. This is one truck its trucks just like this one. They literally able put a plow. On the front of the truck and use the truck and the -- to push the water. Off the highway I -- the plows are normally reserved for when the snow gets here today they've been using the -- to push the water off. Haven't bumped into too many police officers they're out and about busy -- the road crews once they closed the highway that makes it much easier for authorities to focus on the other problems that to be into arise when you have weather like this. All right tricky trip if you're traveling for Thanksgiving WBZ's Joseph -- thanks for your that's for sure. And even watching ABC news digital special report on the weather and travel concerns. As we head -- Thanksgiving anti Hernandez in New York for joining us.