A spate of winter weather is threateningtravel around the Thanksgiving holiday, with rain, snow and powerful winds forecast to roll through the middle of the country this week.

There are two systems bringing soggy and wintry conditions to different parts of the United States, according CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. One brought wet weather over the Ohio Valley before reaching the Northeast later in the day, while the second continued to produce strong winds and heavy snowfall across a northern band of the Midwest, including the Great Lakes, on Wednesday.

Winter stormalerts and other hazardous weather outlooks have been issued for parts of Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

As of Wednesday, the highest snowfall reports came from Victor, South Dakota, LaMoure, North Dakota, and Hermantown, Minnesota, which all saw between 7 and 8 inches of snow. Forecasters in Grand Forks, North Dakota, had said earlier in the week that residents could receive up to 6 inches of snowfall in that area, too.

Twin Cities residents faced the latter portion of a two-part storm that initially arrived Monday evening with rainfall and brought snowfall in its second round Tuesday night, CBS Minnesota reported. Snowfall totals varied, but the National Weather Service said more than 10 inches of snow was recorded at Duluth International Airport.

Blowing snow and biting cold will impact travel conditions Wednesday, with slick roads, slower commutes and a spike in crashes expected. A number ofschools in the area closed due to weather.

Chicago was preparing for a bout of light rain and fog through Wednesday, when a cold front is expected to move through the area,CBS Chicago reported. Temperatures will likely drop below freezing on Thanksgiving and remain low into Friday.

Parts of upstate New York experienced powerful winds on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, downstate areas, including New York City, faced rainfall later in the day and on Wednesday, potentially hampering travel in the lead-up to Thanksgiving. Cold temperatures and blustery winds were expected to settle in on Thursday,CBS New York reported.

The impacts of this week's winter weather will be most severe in areas closest to the Canadian border, where some places could receive up to 20 inches of snow, Nolan said, adding that high winds across the upper Midwest could potentially reach 40 mph, with even stronger gusts. That could possibly interrupt travel along major interstates, including I-29, I-90 and I-94, as well as major airports in Chicago, Duluth, Fargo, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Pierre, South Dakota. 

Along with New York City, a handful of metropolitan areas were expecting rain, including Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Cincinnati, Nashville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. Nolan said the rain could cause delays for drivers traveling along I-20, I-40, I-65, I-75 and I-95, in addition to air travelers at airports in the cities expecting rain, as well as Indianapolis and Memphis. 

A number of airports that could be affected are expecting huge crowds around the upcoming holiday. In Chicago, for example, airports are anticipating about 3.6 million passengers this week,according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.