Poor Weather Spoils Getaway Day for Holiday Travelers in U.S.

There are already more than 1,800 flight delays within, into, or out of the United States, and nearly 250 cancellations, according to flight tracking data. Travelers should check their flight status.

Mild Start to Winter

The stormy weather coincides with the arrival of winter at 5:23 p.m. in the Northern Hemisphere.

But it will not feel like winter, with temperatures about 10 to 25 degrees above average for the Northeast. Instead of snow, heavy rain is expected all day from the Mid-Atlantic region to the Northeast, the National Weather Service says, and there is a flash flood warning in the New York City metropolitan area and southern New England.

Power Loss in Northwest

More than 300,000 homes and businesses lost power Thursday afternoon in Western Washington, including neighborhoods in Seattle, as wind gusts exceeded 70 mph along the coast, the Weather Service said.

No serious injuries have been reported, but falling trees cut off power lines and damaged cars, homes, roads and bridges. High winds and rain are predicted through early next week. State officials also warned of an increased threat of landslides in the western part of the state.

Tornadoes in Florida

Several low-intensity tornadoes touched down in Florida on Thursday, damaging more than 70 homes in a mobile home park in Pasco County, north of Tampa. A 90-year-old woman was hit on the head when part of her condominium’s roof collapsed in Polk County, in Central Florida. Tornado and flood warnings will be in place through Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.