Where rain, snow or severe storms could disrupt Thanksgiving travel in the United States

NEW YORK - It is that time of the year when airports and highways are abundantly crowded as hosts of travelers make their yearly pilgrimage for turkey and stuffing.

A pre-Thanksgiving storm may make travel more difficult for many as some regions register severe thunderstorms, gusty winds, heavy rain and even snow at some high elevations.

A storm system that was developing over the central United States on Nov 20 morning will send a “wave of inclement weather through the eastern two-thirds of the country through the next couple of days,” forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center said.

Whether it brings wintry precipitation or just plain wet weather, the storm system could impact travel during one of the busiest travel days of the year, as millions take to the skies to break bread with family and friends.

The Transportation Security Administration expects about 30 million passengers to fly between this past Friday and the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which represents an 11.5 per cent increase from 2022.

In the New York area alone, which could be in the path of the stormy weather, the four major airports were expecting 3.1 million passengers through Nov 27.

Some 49.1 million people were projected to drive to their Thanksgiving destinations, which would be a 1.7 per cent increase from 2022, according to AAA. The busiest road travel days were expected to be Nov 22 and the Sunday after Thanksgiving (Nov 26).

Yet another 750,000 people were expected to travel by rail in the seven-day period that started Nov 19, Amtrak said.

Severe storms in the South

Five suspected tornadoes were spotted on Nov 20 night - one in northern Louisiana and four in central Mississippi – as of 8.30pm (10.30am, Nov 21 Singapore time), according to the National Weather Service.

The suspected tornadoes caused minimal damage, according to initial reports.

Showers and thunderstorms may cause flash flooding from central Louisiana through much of central Mississippi, forecasters said.

The threat of severe storms will decrease Nov 21 but an isolated tornado could still occur from Georgia into the Carolinas.

Wind, rain and some winter weather in the Northeast

Widespread showers and thunderstorms stretching from the South to the Mid-west may occur Nov 21 as the storm system moves quickly toward the Northeast in the evening hours.

On Nov 17, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York urged caution before Thanksgiving as “extreme winter weather” was expected to affect holiday travel plans across western New York and the North Country.

While those earlier forecasts might have hinted at some winter weather disruptions this week, it does not look like the impact will be as extreme.

Some areas could be cold enough to support some wet snow over the upper Midwest early Nov 21, reaching eastward toward interior parts of New England by Nov 21 night. There could also be some freezing rain possible, especially for the higher elevations.

The major metro areas along the East Coast will mainly see rain and wind from Nov 21 evening through Nov 22 morning.

Such weather would only cause a minor disruption to air traffic on a typical day, but its combination with an increase in volume from holiday travel means there is a chance of longer delays Nov 21 night and Nov 22 morning at major airports in the Northeast.

Most of the unsettled weather will have pushed off the East Coast by Nov 22 afternoon, leaving a tranquil Thanksgiving Day across most of the United States - and giving people something to be thankful for, even if it is a little bit delayed. NYTIMES