Thanksgiving Travel May Be Made Complicated By Upcoming Storms

By Rick Martin First Posted: Nov 21, 2023 12:41 AM EST

It is almost Thanksgiving and sure enough, Americans will be hitting the road to visit loved ones or go home for the holidays. However, the weather might complicate travel plans this week as rain, snow, and severe storms are expected to disrupt some travel plans.

Bad weather is to be expected across a large portion of the US as Thanksgiving approaches, including snow in New England and severe thunderstorms in the South. A system spanning from the southern Plains to Mississippi Valley is expected to spread across the Central United States and this will bring about some massive thunderstorms.

Thunderstorms that started around east Texas are expected to bring warm weather and moisture in nearby areas, with stormy weather being expected in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Tornadoes are also possible in some areas of Louisiana and Mississippi, according to CNN.

The thunderstorm threat is also expected to spread eastward to parts of Alabama and the Florida panhandle, with storms possibly being strong enough to bring damaging wind gusts and perhaps a tornado. Rain is also likely in parts of the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast, though the heavy rainfall is unlikely to bring widespread flooding.

Up north, several areas such as New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire might experience some snow while rain might fall across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and much of New York, as well as the Carolinas.

While the days around Thanksgiving would be met with disruptive weather, Thanksgiving Day itself is expected to be dry, which means it would not be raining on the various Thanksgiving Day parades happening all over the US, particularly in New York. However, a few rain showers are expected in some parts like coastal Texas and the Northern Rockies.

Tuesday Expected to Be Worst Day For Travel as Thanksgiving Approaches

Meanwhile, Fox Weather reports that the TSA is expecting 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday. However, this is expected to be the worst day for travel as this is when the storm is expected to push east and may cause some flight delays or cancellations.

"Widespread rain is expected across much of the eastern U.S.," noted the FOX Forecast Center. "While the main system moves into the Ohio Valley, a secondary system from Canada will dive south, providing an extra boost to the ongoing storm. This will allow for snow to break out across the Great Lakes, with mostly rain elsewhere."

It warned that Tuesday is "shaping up to be the worst day for travel."

Transportation Department Trying To Keep Thanksgiving Delays as Low as Possible

As Americans travel for Thanksgiving across the week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is noting the weather disturbances that may hamper travel, according to CBS News.

In a statement, he said, "While we can't control the weather, we will also be using every tool at our disposal to keep cancellations and delays as low as possible in the first place, including working collaboratively with the airlines."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Could weather throw a wrench into Thanksgiving travel plans? - TODAY