Rain, snow cause Thanksgiving travel chaos as storms sweep across nation

It’s one thing people were not thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Rain and snow caused travel chaos for people around the U.S., as multiple storms swept across the nation into Thursday.

A major snowstorm near the California-Oregon border left hundreds of cars stranded for 17 hours or more, prompting Interstate 5 to be closed until late Wednesday.

Over the Sierra Nevada, a 40-mile stretch of highway was also closed until Wednesday due to the storm. Cars spun out from slippery roads, creating hazardous driving conditions.

Several hundred flights were delayed out of San Francisco International Airport Tuesday due to the weather, and a power outage at Oakland International Airport in California caused chaos for travelers ahead of the holiday.

At least one flight from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Ontario International Airport was diverted due to storm conditions, a spokesperson from the Southwest Airlines told the L.A. Times.

Southwest did not immediately respond to the Daily News’ request for comment on the Thanksgiving holiday.

Snow spread across Colorado, Nebraska and northwestern Kansas Tuesday into Thanksgiving, according to The Weather Channel. Parts of Colorado saw up to 40.5 inches of snow, while Wyoming was buried under 28 inches and parts of Michigan saw 15.2 inches.

Louisiana and Mississippi saw a few tornadoes Tuesday amid the changing weather conditions.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled out of Denver International Airport as Winter Storm Dorothy passed from the Rockies to the Midwest beginning Tuesday, and dozens more flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul were cancelled amid the snowy conditions the next day, The Weather Channel reported.

Schools were closed in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area Wednesday due to the blizzard conditions, giving students an extra day off for the holiday weekend.

The weather conditions were life-threatening as cars slid across the roads, including in Colorado where one person was killed and three others were injured in a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 70 Tuesday, according to The Weather Channel.

Travel conditions were expected to be impacted into Thanksgiving, The Weather Channel said. Rain and snow were expected to continue in California and across the Rockies and Plains, and winds may impact travel in the Northeast U.S.

With News Wire Services.