**Arctic Blast Poised to Disrupt Post-Thanksgiving Travel Across Eastern U.S.**

A significant Arctic blast is forecasted to bring severe winter weather and substantial lake-effect snowfall to the eastern half of the United States this weekend, potentially causing major disruptions for travelers returning home from Thanksgiving celebrations. The Great Lakes region is expected to be particularly hard-hit due to the interaction of cold northern air with the warmer lake waters.

Lake-effect snow is a frequent weather phenomenon in the Great Lakes area during winter. When cold air from the north moves over the relatively warmer waters of the lakes, it lifts moisture into the atmosphere. This moisture then forms rapidly growing clouds, resulting in narrow yet intense bands of snowfall.

Currently, the Great Lakes are experiencing record-warm water temperatures, which could amplify the lake-effect snow. Historical data underscores the severity of such events; notably, in November 2014, Erie County in New York received nearly 80 inches of snow from a similar storm, causing $46 million in damages.

The National Weather Service has issued a warning for up to 6 feet of snowfall east of Lake Ontario through Monday, impacting New York cities such as Oswego, Watertown, and Lowville. Northern and Southern Erie counties in Ohio could see more than 3 feet of snow, while other parts of Ohio, including Ashtabula Inland, Ashtabula Lakeshore, and Lake counties, may experience up to 5 feet. In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, areas east of Marquette could accumulate up to 3 feet of snow from Sunday through Monday.

The storm has already begun to affect travel. According to FlightAware, nearly 3,947 flights within the U.S. were delayed, and 53 more were canceled on Friday. This comes at a time when nearly 80 million people were expected to travel for Thanksgiving, with approximately 3 million anticipated to travel by air on Sunday, according to AAA.

As this powerful Arctic blast moves in, travelers should prepare for significant delays and hazardous conditions, particularly in the Great Lakes region.