10 day forecast - Millions set for Christmas travel chaos as major storm barrels east

Meteorologists have warned two storm systems will merge later this week, with wind and rain expected along the East Coast and a wet start for those setting off early on holiday travels.

Fox Forecast Center predicts a low-pressure system that is moving across Florida this week will emerge into the Atlantic Ocean and begin to slide up the Eastern Seaboard.

It’s expected to bring rain and snow to Texas, with rain and wind for millions of people on the East Coast by Monday and Tuesday.

“If those two phases together, then you’re talking a much stronger system that is going to continue to kind of get shifted up in the jet stream, move up the coastline,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar said.

She added: “The placement of that low is going to be one thing for us to watch very closely.”

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Residents along the Interstate 95 corridor holding out for a white Christmas look set to be disappointed, as this system as this is predicted to be a rain-only event for the major cities, which include New York City, Boston, Washington, and Philadelphia.

“There’s just not enough cold air for the 95 corridor. For big snow from coastal storms. You need cold air ahead of it, and also cold air during the event,” FOX Weather forecaster Britta Merwin said.

“So the snow part, that would be more limited no matter what with the atmosphere that we have working right now.”

However, there is potential for snow in interior portions of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Either way, there could be an impact on road travel as well as at major airports next week.

A clearer picture of the weather ahead will be available over the next day, but at the moment, heavy rain and gusty winds are predicted for the Southeast, mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

The Southeast could see as much as 5 inches for coastal areas from Florida and into the Carolinas.

New York City looks set for another wet weekend, with rain on Saturday and Sunday and showers continuing into the week ahead.

From Sunday to Tuesday, the Northeast from Virginia to Maine is expected to see between one and two inches of rain, while Isolated areas could see up to three inches. Meanwhile, weather experts predict rain through Tuesday in Washington DC.