Weather ruffling travelers' feathers

Thanksgiving holiday travelers encountered some turkey weather across the United States Thursday and could expect more through Saturday, forecasters said. A Pacific storm bore down on the Northwest Thanksgiving Day, bringing snow, winds and colder air into Washington and Oregon before its trek over the Rocky Mountains Friday, AccuWeather.com said. While the storm was expected to lose its snowy punch Saturday, strong winds would remain as it moved into the High Plains. The storm could bring at least 6-12 inches to areas in the Cascade Mountains in Washington and Oregon and the higher elevations of northern California, forecasters said. Eastern parts of Washington and Oregon could see 1-3 inches of snow. Wind gusts could top 60 mph, forecasters said. The storm will join another system from the Southwest over the Midwest, producing travel-disrupting weather for the weekend, AccuWeather.com said. Snow was expected to spread across northeastern Iowa, Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin and parts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula Saturday. A powerful cold front was forecast to mix with humid air, causing severe weather to spread across the South this weekend, meteorologists said. Thunderstorms were expected Saturday across eastern Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, southeastern Missouri, Mississippi, western Tennessee and western Alabama. The storms were expected to bring wind gusts greater than 60 mph, large hail, torrential downpours and lightning. Forecasters said a few thunderstorms could produce an isolated tornado.