As the Thanksgiving week approaches, weather forecasts predict potential disruptions for travelers across the United States. A low-pressure system is expected to bring showers and thunderstorms to the lower Midwest, potentially affecting travel conditions on the East coast. The storm, which has already caused rain and snow in the West, is moving east, bringing damaging winds and potential hail and tornadoes to the South. Cities in Mississippi and Louisiana are most likely to be affected on Monday afternoon and evening, with New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, in the storm's path overnight and Tuesday morning.
Rain is expected in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area during the morning rush hour and will last all day. By Tuesday evening, heavy rain is expected from the Carolinas to New York City, with flash flooding possible overnight into Wednesday. Snow will begin in northern New England Tuesday afternoon and continue through Wednesday night. The storm will be followed by the first bitter cold of the season.
Despite the weather conditions, a significant number of people are expected to travel during the Thanksgiving week. Triple A projects over 55 million travelers will travel 50 miles or more from Wednesday to Sunday. The Transportation Security Administration expects about 30 million passengers to fly between the Friday before and the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, an 11.5 percent increase from last year. An additional 750,000 others are expected to travel by rail. The FAA estimates that 2.6m people will travel through airports each day during the Thanksgiving holiday week.
On Thanksgiving Day, most of the nation will be dry, but snow is expected in the Northwest. Travel conditions in 21Country could be tricky due to rain, but conditions are expected to improve by Wednesday. Thanksgiving Day is expected to be mostly sunny with no major travel complaints. The FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker has warned travelers to be nice to flight crews, stating that the FAA has zero tolerance for unruly behavior.