Are you traveling for Thanksgiving? Projections for Thanksgiving travel of over 50 miles by the AAA are at record highs of 80 million people, and the TSA is bracing for its busiest holiday ever. Just in time for all that travel are a number of weather systems churning up dangerous conditions in America. Andrew Wulfeck reports:
The holiday week is set to start with stormy conditions on the West Coast and quick-moving over the Great Lakes.
The storm system over the northern tier of the U.s. is expected to move out of the country by Tuesday, resulting in minimal accumulations, but the system over the West Coast could present challenges.
Similar to the recent atmospheric river event, the invasion of moisture along the West Coast is expected to result in heavy rain and gusty winds in the lower elevations and mountain snow.
Cities such as Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco will likely see the heaviest precipitation, though the storm’s severity is expected to be much less than the recent deadly atmospheric river event that caused tree falls and flooding.
The energy will set the stage for a cross-country event, but through at least the actual holiday it remains rather disorganized.
During the Tuesday through Thursday period, scattered pockets of precipitation are expected to make their way through the Rockies and the South but remain under severe weather criteria.
In the Intermountain West, those driving through Colorado, Utah, Nevada and the mountains of California can expect to encounter areas of snow-covered roads. The storm may also lead to airport delays in places like Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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Major hubs like Atlanta and Charlotte will see the effects of the storm system, with showers creeping up into the mid-Atlantic. But the timing is expected to be rather fortunate.
The worst weather in the South is expected on the least busy air travel day of the year: Thanksgiving Day itself. In 2023, only 1.5 million travelers passed through airport checkpoints, significantly fewer than the days before and after the holiday.
Action Line: If you’re traveling for Thanksgiving, be sure you know where you’re going and how you’re getting there. Check your maps and your reservations. When this many people are traveling at the same time, hotels and restaurants won’t have spare rooms or tables, and extra rental cars and seats on airplanes don’t exist. Think Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Don’t let that be you. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
