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 rain and snow conditions in the Northeast and parts of the Rockies, which could cause travel delays after the holidays.

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

The winter weather could cause wet roads and flight delays on Sunday – when people return from their Thanksgiving trips. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen a record 2.9 million passengers.

Motorists are advised to prepare for delays due to traffic and poor visibility, especially motorists traveling on highways, including Highways 90, 91 and 95.

AAA Projects 55.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their homes during the Thanksgiving holiday. They estimate that 49.13 million of them will travel by car and 4.69 million will fly.

Snow fell in parts of northern New England on Wednesday, including up to 6 inches of snow in Vermont, it was reported NBC Boston.

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

Rain is forecast to hit Eastern Virginia, Maryland and Delaware on Sunday before spreading to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York on Sunday evening. Wet conditions will spread across New England on Monday.

Areas such as Boston; Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island are expected to receive 0.50 to 1.00 inches of rain.

As the storm moves northeast, it will encounter cold air and snow is forecast in parts of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine from Sunday evening through Monday.

Drivers are warned to allow extra time as the snow can cause slippery driving.

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

The Denver metro area could get 1 to 4 inches of snow, which would spread into southwestern Nebraska and southeastern Wyoming, where 1 to 6 inches of snow could fall.

Heavy snow is forecast Thursday through Friday in the central mountains of Colorado, Wyoming and the mountains of northern New Mexico.

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

The day before Thanksgiving, huge numbers of travelers reached record numbers, causing huge lines at airports and traffic jams.

Amtrak said it expected 750,000 passengers between Nov. 19 and 26 and said travelers could expect some boarding delays this weekend due to high passenger volume.

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

FlightAware said just under 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 traveling within the United States, and three hours earlier if flying abroad – and suggests arriving earlier on Sundays and Mondays.

AAA said the national average for gas fell to $3.28 per gallon on Wednesday, down from $3.63 a year ago.

According to government figures, airfares in October were 13 percent lower than last year, and fares around Thanksgiving were about 14 percent lower than a year ago, according to the travel site Hopper.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a news conference Monday that the government has tried to better prepare for leisure travel over the past year.

He said measures have been taken such as hiring more air traffic controllers, opening new air routes along the East Coast and providing subsidies to airports for snow plows and deicing equipment.

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