When is the best time to travel for Thanksgiving this year?
The Points Guy Managing Editor Clint Henderson joins FOX Weather to talk about Thanksgiving travel when a winter storm is forecast to slow some travel. Henderson said travelers can avoid some crowds by not traveling on the day right before or after the holiday.
WASHINGTON – It’s that time of year when millions of Americans across the U.S. begin to prepare their travel plans ahead of Thanksgiving, and experts predict a record number of people hitting the roads and packing airports this year.
Traveling can be stressful, and you’ll no doubt hear the phrase “pack your patience” a few times before you sit down with family and friends to celebrate the holiday.
Your fellow travelers are not the only ones who may add to the anxiety of getting from point A to point B safely – extreme weather can have a major impact on your timely arrival at your destination.
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According to the AAA, nearly 80 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, which runs from Nov. 26 through Dec. 2.
“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, in a news release. “Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that.”
A record 71.7 million people are expected to get to their Thanksgiving destinations by car, which is an increase of 1.3 million people compared to 2023. That number is also higher than pre-pandemic numbers when 70.6 million drove in 2019.
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Air travel is also expected to break records in 2024, with AAA estimating 5.84 million people catching flights at airports across the country.
How’s the weather looking?
Whether you’re filling up your gas tank and driving or getting to the airport early to ensure there’s enough time to get through security, no amount of preparation can keep Mother Nature in check to avoid the dreaded travel delays or, even worse, cancellations.
It’s still too early to know what type of weather could impact Thanksgiving travel next week. However, if you were planning on trying to beat the traffic on the roads or avoid crowds at the airport by traveling this week, you’ll want to know about a series of powerful storms sweeping across the U.S. that could significantly impact when you arrive.
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This image shows the storm systems packing snow, rain and strong winds that will lead to treacherous travel across the U.S. this week.
(FOX Weather)
The storms sweeping across the U.S. have the potential to pack a punch with snow, rain and strong winds expected to lead to treacherous travel just as millions of people finalize Thanksgiving travel plans.
One of the storm systems is well underway and bringing widespread rain and some snow to portions of the northern tier of the country and Upper Midwest after first triggering rounds of severe weather in the central and southern Plains on Monday.
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After the storm impacting the Midwest begins to wind down during the middle of the week, a second storm will rapidly strengthen and impact millions of people in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
A majority of the region, especially in major cities along the Interstate 95 corridor from Philadelphia through New York City, New Haven, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, will likely see only rain.
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Daily rain amounts of 2-4 inches are expected over the course of several days.
(FOX Weather)
Out West, a powerful bomb cyclone associated with a major atmospheric river is expected to soak the region from California to Washington this week, and that could lead to flooding and blizzard conditions.
The storm also has the potential to break records. According to the National Weather Service office in Seattle, the lowest pressure recorded off Washington was on Oct. 24, 2021, at 942 millibars (27.81 inches). Computer model forecasts indicate the storm will approach this pressure level Tuesday evening, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Snow and rain threaten travel plans for many across the country ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Nov. 19, 2024.
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