Thanksgiving travel 2013: Deadly storm heading toward East Coast

A deadly wintry storm heading toward East Coast threatens Thanksgiving travel plans for millions of Americans.

The storm threatens to dump snow on inland regions of several Northeast states on the eve of the holiday, a meteorologist said Monday.

The weather system has already heaped up to a foot of snow in the mountain regions of Utah and Colorado, and claimed 13 lives including a 4-year-old girl killed in a rollover smash on icy roads in New Mexico.

With the storm gathering pace and moving northeast, the 43 million people who are expected to travel 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving were warned to avoid driving during the worst conditions slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, said Kevin Roth, lead meteorologist at The Weather Channel.

Three million of these travelers expected to fly, and there is also a good chance flights could be delayed leaving from airports in New York, Boston, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.

Kevin Roth said this was due to forecast low cloud and high wind, however, rather than ice or snow.

Some 300 flights were canceled at DFW International Airport across Saturday and Sunday, with officials there anticipating icy conditions.