Two storms loom over busy Thanksgiving Week, potentially impacting millions of travelers
Traffic moves along Interstate 80 in Emeryville, California, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloo
Two storms loom over next week's Thanksgiving holiday with the potential to cause delays during the busiest travel period of the year, when close to 82 million Americans are expected to take to the road, rail or sky.
The first storm system is expected to develop next Monday, Nov. 24, and bring rain to the southern Plains as it tracks into the Southeast and potentially the mid-Atlantic or Northeast through Tuesday.
According to AAA, next Tuesday afternoon is supposed to be one of the most congested periods on the roads before Thanksgiving Day itself.
While the exact track of this first system is still coming into focus, long-range forecasts appear to be in good agreement that the South will see several days of rain which could cause delays at airports like Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
This graphic shows the long-range forecast for Thanksgiving.(FOX Weather)
Whether the mid-Atlantic or Northeast see significant storm impacts remains something of an open question.
Meanwhile, a second storm system will bring rain and colder conditions to the Pacific Northwest next Monday and is expected to dive across the country by midweek.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, an area from Missouri to Texas will likely see some rain on Wednesday into Thanksgiving Day, with the potential for snow where colder air is able to take hold.
"Early long-range guidance leans toward more rain than snow, but confidence is low when it comes to the exact setup or severity."
Meanwhile, the West, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and much of the Southeast are expected to have dry conditions on Thanksgiving Day.
East Coast Thanksgiving Day parades will also likely enjoy the last bits of the unseasonable warmth, which is currently bringing spring-like temperatures across the South ahead of a colder winter pattern that long-range forecasts believe will arrive just in time to usher in December.
Download the FOX Weather App to stay updated as the specifics of the holiday week forecast become clearer.