Powerful winter storm set to create Thanksgiving travel chaos — and New York is at the center

Winter weather alerts were issued for parts of New York state Thursday as the region prepares to be walloped by a powerful winter storm before millions of Americans are set to hit the roads for Thanksgiving.

Forecasters say up to 8 inches of snow may fall in some parts of the state, while other areas will likely be drenched by some much-needed rain.

“Snow will break out, mostly across Pennsylvania and parts of central New York state. There will be heavy, wet snow throughout Thursday,” Fox Forecast Center meteorologist Greg Diamond told The Post.

Precipitation is expected to pour down on the tri-state area through at least Friday night, possibly into the weekend, Diamond added.

Areas expecting snow, including parts of northeast Pennsylvania and south-central New York state, near Binghamton and the Catskills, may see up to 8 inches of white flurries.

Northern New Jersey, specifically in the area near the Jennings Creek Fire, may also get a dusting, Diamond said.

While the snow will only continue to fall through the night, New York City can’t expect to be coated in white — at least not yet.

“Across eastern New England and New York City, it’s just mostly rain. A beneficial rain that will end the fire threat,” Diamond said, adding, “It won’t end our drought here, we need at least 10 inches of rain for that. But it will put an end to the fire issues we’ve been having over the past few weeks.”

While the weekend will likely be clear, showers may put a damper on travel plans at the start of next week.

By Thanksgiving next week, another storm may take form, Diamond warned, noting, “There may be a storm system that develops across the country, but it still remains pretty uncertain at this time.”

Travel impacts this Thursday

While Thanksgiving travel will peak next week, those who decided to head out early for their holiday celebrations may be in a bind due to the inclement weather.

Around 1 p.m., Newark Liberty International Airport was experiencing inbound flight delays of up to 45 minutes due to high winds, according to FlightAware.

John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports did not appear to be affected.

A record-breaking 80 million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles from home for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to AAA.

That’s an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019.