
Americans are gearing up for the busiest travel time of the year as Thanksgiving Day approaches. Nearly 82 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving this year, an increase of 2% from last year’s record of 80.2 million, according to AAA’s projections.
Most of those Americans, 73.3 million, will travel to their Thanksgiving destination by car, while 6 million are expected to travel by plane. To help travelers keep an eye on any logistics, here’s what meteorologists are forecasting weather-wise.
While AAA expects Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving Day will be the busiest on the road, for any “early bird” travelers looking to get ahead of that traffic, here’s what the forecast will look like starting with this weekend.
Early Thanksgiving travel this weekend
Friday
This Friday is “potentially the worst” day for early Thanksgiving travel, according to the Weather Channel.
The Gulf Coast could experience some potential storms, while the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, as well as the Central Plains, could see heavy rainfall. The central Rockies could also see some lingering snow.
In the Northeast, inland New England and high elevations of the Green Mountains and White Mountains could get some wintry precipitation. Slippery, icy conditions could disrupt travel on some highways, as it’s not quite cold enough for snow.
For the West Coast, a storm system that’s pushing onshore from this week will bring rain and mountain snow to the Southwest.
The following airport hubs may be impacted this Friday due to weather, according to the Weather Channel: Atlanta, New York, Boston, Washington, Dallas, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Saturday
While there’s overall less precipitation forecast across the country, rain will still impact parts of the United States from eastern Texas up to Delaware, according to the Weather Channel. The southern Appalachian Mountains, near Tennessee and the Carolinas, could experience the heaviest rainfall, which could affect travel.
The weather starts to quiet down on the West Coast, with some lingering showers.
Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston and Seattle airports could be impacted, the Weather Channel reports.
Sunday
The Southern Rockies could see some rain and mountain snow, while light rain is possible across the southern Plains and Tennessee Valley. The Pacific Northwest could experience rain and mountain snow.
Week of Thanksgiving forecast
AccuWeather’s senior meteorologist Chad Merrill provided Yahoo with a national weather outlook for the week of Thanksgiving.
Western U.S.
Early in the week, cold air will push from the Northwest into the Rockies and bring snow and gusty winds.
By the end of the week, temperatures could drop by up to 20 degrees below average in the northern Rockies.
Thanksgiving Day could bring a “weak Santa Ana wind event” for Southern California, but the wildfire risk is low thanks to the recent rainfall, Merrill said.
Central U.S.
The Plains to the Midwest is forecast to experience rain and potential thunderstorms from early to midweek. This will be followed by strong winds and blustery weather.
Around Thanksgiving Day, temperatures will nose-dive in the entire region all the way down to the Texas Gulf Coast.
For the second half of the week, travelers heading home could experience issues north of I-70 because of snow and blowing snow, Merrill cautions.
Eastern U.S.
Early in the week in the Northeast, a cold front will bring breezy winds along with rain and snow showers.
Another storm is expected to arrive around Thanksgiving Day, bringing some rain to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, while the Northeast could see some snow showers.
By the end of Thanksgiving weekend, expect rain and much colder temperatures, while the snow belts are expected to experience breezy winds and lake-effect snow.
NEUESTE BEITRÄGE
- 1
2025 Arctic League telethon raises more than $39k07.12.2025 - 2
James Webb Space Telescope discovers a lemon-shaped exoplanet unlike anything seen before: 'What the heck is this?'16.12.2025 - 3
CNN Crew Detained and Journalist Put in Chokehold in IDF Run-In: ‘We’re Journalists. What Are You Doing?!’28.03.2026 - 4
3D Printers for Specialists06.06.2024 - 5
Investigate Business Mastercard Choices for Better Rewards and Rewards30.06.2023
Ähnliche Artikel
These HGTV stars made a pledge to keep their kids off smartphones. Here's how it's going.31.12.2025
Mummified cheetahs found in Saudi caves shed light on lost populations15.01.2026
Pick Your Number one breakfast food06.06.2024
It's been 20 years since MTV's golden couple split. These producers saw it all unravel.16.12.2025
Am I a Summer, or is this a scam? What I learned from color analysis.30.03.2026
To fix a patient's irregular heartbeat, doctors first tested its digital 'twin'01.04.2026
AfD faction in western Germany ousts councilman for firebrand speech01.12.2025
PA accuses Israel of 'human trafficking' after planeload of Gazans arrives in South Africa16.11.2025
Closets for Your Room: Plan and Utility Features06.06.2024
German journalists' union condemns attack on reporters in village26.03.2026














