Nov. 23--COLONIE -- Meteorologists are watching what could turn into a nor'easter early next week, a storm coming up the East Coast during the busiest travel period of the year.
"Unfortunately there is at least the possibility of a coastal storm," said Kevin Lipton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany. The storm, he said could hit the Capital Region as well as cities south and east of Albany.
"Everyone should really stay tuned and listen to the latest forecast," he added.
Right now, it looks like the storm -- which could be rain, an icy mix or snow, depending on its path -- would arrive in Albany late Tuesday, continue through Wednesday, and be gone by Thursday morning, with windy weather during the day on Thursday.
As the storm approaches, forecasters will get a clearer picture of its path and what kind of precipitation it will bring.
Those who have some flexibility might want to travel early in the day on Tuesday, Lipton added.
There's a possibility it might go out to sea instead of hugging the East Coast, which could ease the threat to travel.
Wednesday and Sunday are the two busiest travel days of the Thanksgiving holiday period, with flights booked near or at capacity, and many Amtrak trains sold out.
The storm could be a travel disaster, especially for those traveling by air or highway.
Passengers on canceled flights likely wouldn't be able to rebook quickly; many would likely end up having to travel on Thanksgiving, when more seats would be available.
But massive flight cancellations could make even those seats hard to get.
And even if the storm didn't hit Albany, it could cause problems for travelers catching connecting flights at such East Coast hubs as Newark, N.J., and Washington Dulles (United), Philadelphia, Washington National and Charlotte (US Airways), Baltimore (Southwest), and possibly even Atlanta (Delta).
Amtrak trains will be nearly full, with the railroad projecting it will carry 300,000 passengers in the Northeast Corridor alone during the holiday week.
As for highway travel, a massive snowstorm likely would make that difficult, and intercity buses also would be affected.
At Albany International Airport, snow removel teams have been ready for winter weather since Oct. 1, said airport spokesman Doug Myers.
"All of the equipment is serviced and ready to go," he said Friday afternoon. "We'll probably have a snow meeting early in the week," with representatives from airlines, the airport and maintenance and operations crews deciding what needs to be done.
"We'll be in good shape," Myers added. "It's the hubs where you'll get delays."
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