Thanksgiving travelers set to face winter storms, strong winds and heavy snow

Cold, wintry weather and strong winds are expected in large parts of the country Wednesday and into Thursday as millions hit the roads and take to the skies ahead of Thanksgiving

Cold, wintry weather and strong winds are expected in large parts of the country Wednesday and into Thursday as millions hit the roads and take to the skies ahead of Thanksgiving.

Up to 2 feet of snow is set to hit the Upper Midwest and 52 million people are under wind alerts from the Plains to the Great Lakes and into the Appalachians, including in major cities such as Chicago and Detroit. For the areas under those alerts, gusts are forecast to be as high as 60 mph.

Blizzard warnings are in effect for 13 million people and cover parts of northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and areas east of lakes Erie and Ontario are under lake-effect snow warnings. Significant snowfall has begun, and blizzard conditions are developing as cold air pours in behind the system.

For northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan, up to 3 feet of snow is possible. For the areas downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario, 20 inches is possible. The storm will grow as it moves east, dumping what could be more than a foot of snow over the Snow Belt along the south shore of Lake Superior.

Farther south and east, rain will gradually change to snow by Thanksgiving morning, with additional lake-effect bands setting up through Friday, especially downwind of the lower Great Lakes.