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Where Americans can expect cold, rain and snow for holiday travel
Americans are gearing up for the busiest travel time of the year as Thanksgiving Day approaches. Nearly 82 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving this year, an increase of 2% from last year’s record of 80.2 million, according to AAA’s projections.
Most of those Americans, 73.3 million, will travel to their Thanksgiving destination by car, while 6 million are expected to travel by plane. To help travelers keep an eye on any logistics, here’s what meteorologists are forecasting weather-wise.
While AAA expects Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving Day will be the busiest on the road, for any “early bird” travelers looking to get ahead of that traffic, here’s what the forecast will look like starting with this weekend.
Early Thanksgiving forecast
Friday
Today is “potentially the worst” weather day for early Thanksgiving travelers, according to the Weather Channel.
The Gulf Coast could experience some potential storms, while the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, as well as the Central Plains, could see heavy rainfall. The central Rockies could also see some lingering snow.
In the Northeast, inland New England and high elevations of the Green Mountains and White Mountains could get some wintry precipitation. Slippery, icy conditions could disrupt travel on some highways, as it’s not quite cold enough for snow.
For the West Coast, a storm system that’s pushing onshore from this week will bring rain and mountain snow to the Southwest.
The following airport hubs may be impacted this Friday due to weather, per TWC’s forecast: Atlanta, New York, Boston, Washington, Dallas, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Saturday
While there’s overall less precipitation forecast across the country, rain will still impact parts of the United States from eastern Texas up to Delaware, according to the Weather Channel. The southern Appalachian Mountains, near Tennessee and the Carolinas, could experience the heaviest rainfall, which could affect travel.
The weather starts to quiet down on the West Coast, with some lingering showers.
Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston and Seattle airports could be impacted, per the Weather Channel.
Sunday
The southern Rockies could see some rain and mountain snow, while light rain is possible across the southern Plains and Tennessee Valley. The Pacific Northwest could experience rain and mountain snow.
Airports in Dallas and Seattle could be impacted by Sunday’s weather.
Week of Thanksgiving forecast
Monday
Rain, some of it heavy, is expected for most of the middle part of the country, from Texas and Louisiana to the upper Mississippi Valley. Localized flooding is possible. In the Northwest, snow and strong winds in the northern Rockies and Cascades “could lead to slippery roads, especially over mountain passes.”
However, the rest of the lower 48 should remain relatively dry.
Tuesday
More rain is expected in the Midwest, with the potential to spread to the East Coast, according to the Weather Channel. Thunderstorms are possible in parts of the Southeast.
Across the Northern Plains, wind-driven snow, “though exactly where the snow will occur remains uncertain,” according to the forecast. And another storm system may bring rain and mountain snow to the Northwest.
Wednesday
Rain showers may linger along the East Coast on Thanksgiving Eve, which could give rise to flight delays at airports from Atlanta to Boston. Meanwhile, lake-effect snow in parts of the western Great Lakes could create dangerous road conditions.
And rain and snow will keep the Pacific Northwest seasonably wet.
Thursday
On Thanksgiving Day, bands of heavy lake-effect snow, accompanied by strong winds, could cause “localized whiteout conditions” in parts of the Great Lakes.
It’s going to be windy and chilly in the Northeast, Midwest and mid-Atlantic, where “crosswinds could trigger delays” at Newark-Liberty airport, the Weather Channel said.
Out West, snow is in the forecast for the northern Rockies and High Plains.
AccuWeather’s forecast
AccuWeather’s senior meteorologist Chad Merrill provided Yahoo with a national weather outlook for the week of Thanksgiving.
Western U.S.
Early in the week, cold air will push from the Northwest into the Rockies and bring snow and gusty winds.
By the end of the week, temperatures could drop by up to 20 degrees below average in the northern Rockies.
Thanksgiving Day could bring a “weak Santa Ana wind event” for Southern California, but the wildfire risk is low thanks to the recent rainfall, Merrill said.
Central U.S.
The Plains to the Midwest is forecast to experience rain and potential thunderstorms from early to midweek. This will be followed by strong winds and blustery weather.
Around Thanksgiving Day, temperatures will nose-dive in the entire region all the way down to the Texas Gulf Coast.
For the second half of the week, travelers heading home could experience issues north of I-70 because of snow and blowing snow, Merrill cautions.
Eastern U.S.
Early in the week in the Northeast, a cold front will bring breezy winds along with rain and snow showers.
Another storm is expected to arrive around Thanksgiving Day, bringing some rain to the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, while the Northeast could see some snow showers.
By the end of Thanksgiving weekend, expect rain and much colder temperatures, while the snow belts are expected to experience breezy winds and lake-effect snow.