Holiday travelers in the United States avoiding widespread disruptive weather ahead of Thanksgiving might not be so fortunate during their post-holiday journeys.

Des Moines, Iowa Madison, Wisconsin and Grand Rapids, Michigan are within the storm's current projected path of heavy snow. The heavy snow is likely to come close to the Chicago area. A northward shift in the storm's track could result in heavy snow in Minneapolis, rather than just a nuisance snowfall.

Windy conditions have brought in some cooler air leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, but the most challenging weather this holiday weekend looks to arrive during the

Thanksgiving travel could be snarled across the Great Lakes Snowbelts beginning Wednesday and lasting through Thanksgiving Day and into Black Friday.

As a storm was bearing down on the southern Plains, heavy snowfall was expected in the northern Plains and Great Lakes regions.

A strengthening storm will move into the Plains with heavy rain, flash flooding and severe thunderstorms—threatening to snarl travel in cities and trigger disruptions during the busiest holiday travel period of the year.