Thanksgiving is one of the most-traveled holidays of the year. Tens of millions will be taking to the roads and airways before and after the holiday too, and AccuWeather meteorologists say travel will be feast or famine, depending where one’s travels take them.
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A new travel record is expected for Thanksgiving 2024. According to AAA, 79.9 million people are expected to travel throughout Thanksgiving week. This includes both air travelers and those taking a trip by car. This is up 1.7 million people from Thanksgiving week of last year.
The storm-weary West will continue to deal with rain and snow. While a repeat of last week’s bomb cyclone is not expected, more precipitation is on the way. In addition, rain and snow will be farther to the south than last week’s event. Rain will soak Central California, largely centered on Tuesday. As the moisture encounters colder air in the mountains, several feet of snow is expected to accumulate.
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This storm will continue to progress eastward, with snow in the Wasatch of Utah and Colorado Rockies. Some snow will also fall a bit farther to the north in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. While slightly less snow will fall than in California, several feet will still accumulate at the mountain peaks.
“One tricky travel area will be in and around the Denver area as snow spreads across the area on Wednesday, where 1-3 inches of snow is expected to fall,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Emma Belscher.
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Quieter weather is expected for the holiday itself as the strong progresses to the east.
The week will begin quietly across the nation’s midsection, meaning travel by ground or air on Tuesday should be smooth sailing.
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By Wednesday, the storm in the Rockies will be making its way into the Plains. Most of the day will be dry, although a bit of snow could streak out into Kansas in the afternoon, making travel a bit tougher compared to earlier in the week. For most of the region though, travel will be less hazardous than farther to the west.
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Cold air will plunge southward for Thanksgiving Day. However, precipitation should be off to the south and east.
Travel on Wednesday will be free of any issues in the Southeast. On Wednesday night and Thursday, things will change.
As the cross-country storm makes its way into the Southeast, thunderstorms will rumble in much of the region. In fact, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that some of those thunderstorms could turn severe. Rain from the thunderstorms could cause ponding on roadways and lightning delays are possible at airports in cities from Houston to Atlanta. There will be the potential from other hazards as well.
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“Thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday across the South can spell trouble for any last-minute travelers as they can be accompanied by flooding downpours, damaging wind gusts and even isolated tornadoes,” warned Belscher.
Travel conditions should improve on Friday, but there could be lingering impacts along the coast.
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The weather will be a bigger issue in the Northeast and Great Lakes throughout Thanksgiving week as multiple storms sweep through the regions. The week will begin with snow, rain or a mix of rain and snow from Minnesota to Michigan and southward into the Ohio and Tennessee valleys.
Colder air will arrive on blustery winds in the Great Lakes and Ohio and Tennessee valleys on Tuesday. A few snow showers are likely to fly in portions of Wisconsin and Michigan. Meanwhile, rain will arrive in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. A bit of snow is also possible in northern New England and far UPstate New York.
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The only hindrance to travel on the day before Thanksgiving will be wind around the Great Lakes and northern New England. Those regions could also have some snow showers.
While the Southeast will potentially have severe thunderstorms on Thanksgiving, the storm will present different problems farther to the north. The western Great Lakes will continue to have snow showers, but the mid-Atlantic will have rain with a swath of snow on the northern edge of the precipitation shield.
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Some places near the line between rain and snow may have precipitation begin as snow before mixing with and changing over to rain.
The cold air farther to the West will encompass much of the East as well in the wake of the Thanksgiving storm. The chilly air flowing over the Great Lakes that are still relatively warm in late November and early December will spawn lake-effect snow. Flurries can fly dozens of miles away from the lakes, but locations closer to the Great Lakes will have steadier, heavier snow. Prolonged cold air could make this a lengthy lake-effect event.
“Post-holiday travelers near the Great Lakes will not be in the clear as lake-effect snow will continue into the weekend,” said Belscher.
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Whether traveling just a few miles or flying across the country or anything in between, it is always a good idea to check the free AccuWeather app before leaving for your destination.
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