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And snow it begins ...

Turkey. Check.

Stuffing. Check.Cranberries. Check.Snow. Uh, really?As the Northeast begins to prepare for Thanksgiving Day feasts, many are worried if loved ones will be able to make it home as the first winter storm is expected to push through the region Wednesday one of the busiest travel days of the year.Many areas will also probably be in for a very white Thanksgiving.The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for Wednesday, saying the storm that is forming off the coast in the South will make its way up North, like crazy Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon movies, dropping snow, rain and ice across all the Northeast states.Locally, snow is expected to be the main form of precipitation throughout the duration of the storm.The Weather Channel is reporting that the cold front, mixed with the low pressure system that will "most likely stay just off the Eastern seaboard" will set up the "classic track for a significant East Coast storm."AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski reports that rain will spread northward along the Interstate 95 corridor before 10 Wednesday morning before changing over to all snow. The changeover will occur from west to east as the storm moves through.Snow totals are still varying between weather services though.AccuWeather puts the area in the 6 to 12 inch range; the Weather Channel is forecasting 8 to 12 inches; and the National Weather Service is calling for 4 to 8 inches of snow, with locally higher amounts possible in higher elevations.WNEP is the only news station locally that is calling for lesser amounts of 3 to 5 inches in the Poconos and areas along and east of Interstate 81.Because of the ominous forecasts, thousands of travelers coming into the Northeast are scrambling to make other travel plans for today, and airports are bracing for major delays come Wednesday.The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has been urging drivers to change travel plans if necessary.PennDOT crews will also monitor road conditions as the storm moves through and will extend crew shifts to provide 24-hour plow coverage during the storm.AccuWeather states that travel conditions will improve on Thanksgiving Day, but roads may become icy Thursday night in areas where roads were wet or slushy.As a precaution, Beaver Meadows has already issued a snow ban, effective at 8 p.m. Tuesday through the end of the storm and the snow ban side of the street has been cleared.Of course grocery stores will be crazier than ever tonight as people shop for last-minute Thanksgiving fixings and gravitate to the eggs, milk and bread aisles.

BOB FORD/TIMES NEWS Phil Nuccio of Marzen Feed and Hardware unloads a pallet of calcium chloride Tuesday morning.