Thanksgiving travel troubles: Where weather could cause problems for flights, roads during holiday week
See where and when will you need to factor in a bit more time to get to the airport, plan an alternate route or travel worry-free this Thanksgiving.
Snow, rain could lead to some bumpy post-Thanksgiving travel
If you waited until the last minute to travel for Thanksgiving – you’re in luck. There aren’t many issues Thursday that could lead to delays on the road or in the sky. However, some storm systems could lead to issues when it comes to post-Thanksgiving travel this weekend.
FOX Weather wants to keep you ahead of the weather during one of the year's busiest travel times. We take you day by day to help you plan a little extra time into the trip, take another route or let you know where you can leave your travel weather worries behind.
If you are hitting the roads or catching a flight this week for Thanksgiving, you are not alone. AAA forecast the third-busiest Thanksgiving holiday since recordkeeping started in 2000. More people hit the roads only twice before, in 2005 and 2019. The association says 55.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this year, with 49.1 million of those behind the wheel.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects a record number of passengers this holiday season. Between Friday, Nov. 17, and Tuesday, Nov. 28, TSA expected 30 million passengers.
SNOWSTORM, COLD AIR EXPECTED TO SLOW THANKSGIVING TRAVEL THROUGH ROCKIES, PLAINS
The Thanksgiving travel overview.
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"We expect this holiday season to be our busiest ever. In 2023, we have already seen seven of the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. "We are ready for the anticipated volumes and are working closely with our airline and airport partners to make sure we are prepared for this busy holiday travel season. We will also do our best to maintain wait time standards of under 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck lanes and under 30 minutes for standard screening lanes."
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Thanksgiving Day forecast
Thanksgiving looks to be the quietest day for weather for the week. So, any last-minute travelers are in luck.
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Road travel forecast:
The FOX Forecast Center said those who got an early start to the day across Tennessee were met with some slick roads as fog developed and temperatures were below freezing. There are three other areas to watch – the northern Rockies, the Inland Northwest and in Texas and Louisiana.
A storm system is bringing snow to Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, which will lead to dangerous driving conditions on the roads.
In Eastern Washington and Idaho, early morning drivers were met with widespread areas of freezing fog, including the Spokane and Couer d'Alene.
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Farther south along the Gulf Coast, a disturbance will bring showers and some thunderstorms to portions of Texas and Louisiana.
The Thanksgiving Day forecast across the U.S.
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Black Friday travel forecast
Blustery weather and high-elevation airport delays will plague Black Friday for parts of the nation.
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Black Friday air travel forecast:
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Road travel issues:
Black Friday shoppers in Colorado and Utah will be dealing with a nasty snowstorm that will slide across the Rockies to end the week, producing widespread snow in several states. More than a foot of snow is expected in the mountains of Colorado, and several inches are expected in the Denver area. Snow is also expected in Kansas and Nebraska and the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma.
Behind the snow, temperatures are expected to plummet 10-20 degrees below average. That means temperatures in the single digits and lower teens for Friday and Saturday morning. A large chunk of the Rockies will not even climb above freezing for Black Friday.
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The Southeast also welcomes another round of rain to darken Black Friday.
Saturday travel forecast
Air travel:
The highest elevations in the Rockies could see up to a foot of snow before the winter storm wraps up.
Snow will continue into Saturday morning as the system continues south. Some of the heaviest snow and highest snowfall totals are possible across New Mexico on Saturday.
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Road travel:
Watch for slippery roads from Colorado and New Mexico through Houston and Kansas City.
Temperatures are forecast to stay well below average through the weekend, and the colder air is set to spread farther east and south with time.
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Sunday travel forecast
Sunday could be the heaviest travel day of the year. TSA is preparing to screen 2.9 million passengers on Sunday, which would be a record. The heaviest travel day to date was June 30, 2023, when agents screened just under 2.9 million passengers.
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AAA warns of very slow drives on highways in Houston, New York, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon.
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The Thanksgiving return trip forecast for Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023.
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