Thanksgiving weather forecast: Snow and rain set to impact large portions of U.S. travel

Traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday could get a little dicey this year, with winter weather forecast to impact a wide swath of the U.S. during the next few days.

A record 80 million Americans are expected to hit the roads and skies over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, including the Tuesday before Thanksgiving Day and the Monday after, according to AAA.

They may have to contend with snow in the Midwest, thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast, more precipitation pounding an already-saturated West Coast and the possibility of “messy Thanksgiving travel” in the eastern US.

This unsettled weather is forecast before temperatures are projected to plummet during the last week of November and the first days of December.

Here’s a look at what the holiday week weather forecast:

Monday

The National Weather Service warned over flash flooding and associated rock and mudslides along with debris flow for parts of California’s southern Sierra on Monday.

In higher elevations, three to four feet of snow are forecast, with some areas seeing more by Wednesday morning.

Winter storm warnings were in effect across the state on Monday, including for the popular ski destination of Lake Tahoe.

“Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday evening and Tuesday commutes. Very strong winds could cause extensive damage to trees and power lines due to the expected heavy wet nature of the snow,” the agency warned.

Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off lake waters until conditions improve

The Midwest and Great Lakes regions will also snow, with several inches over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Temperatures will remain above average in the Southern Plains to the Midwest, and some record high temperatures might be set over south Texas.

Tuesday

Other parts of the West will see snow showers over the next couple of days, including the Great Basin.

Heavy snow is anticipated to cover the Intermountain West and Colorado Rockies with up to three inches over the next couple of days.

Rain will soak Central California, largely centered on Tuesday, according to AccuWeather.

Rain and cold temperatures could be felt in some major East Coast cities on Tuesday. Although, temperatures are expected to be warmer than average across the eastern U.S. throughout the day.

Wednesday

Snow will continue to progress east on Wednesday, falling in Idaho and Wyoming, AccuWeather said.

“One tricky travel area will be in and around the Denver area as snow spreads across the area on Wednesday, where 1-3 inches of snow is expected to fall,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Emma Belscher.

Several feet will still accumulate at California’s mountain peaks. Some snow could also move into Kansas on Wednesday afternoon.

The Southeast will see a clear day of travel before things change into Thursday.

The Great Lakes and northern New England could have snow showers.

Thursday

The weather will turn on Thursday, bringing some potentially severe thunderstorms across the Southeast.

Rain could cause ponding on roadways and lightning delays are possible at airports in cities from Houston to Atlanta, AccuWeather forecasters stated.

“Thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday across the South can spell trouble for any last-minute travelers as they can be accompanied by flooding downpours, damaging wind gusts and even isolated tornadoes,” warned Belscher.

To the north, the mid-Atlantic will have rain and snow in some areas. The western Great Lakes will continue to see snow showers.

Across the eastern U.S., FOX Weather said a Thanksgiving Day storm would cause last-minute travel troubles that “will likely last until Black Friday and the start of the weekend.”

Rain is forecast in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, DC.

A record number of people will be traveling, AAA predicted. The group projects that a record 71.7 million will head out by car, 5.84 million will fly domestically, and close to 2.3 million are expected to travel by modes of transportation, including buses, cruises and trains.

The most weather-delayed airports during the holidays are San Francisco International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport, according to AccuWeather.

Friday

Significant delays are expected for people returning from the holiday.

FOX Weather said travelers should expect significant delays, with major airports likely to see cancellations and delays in the early morning.

Chilly air over the Great Lakes will bring lake-effect snow.

“Post-holiday travelers near the Great Lakes will not be in the clear as lake-effect snow will continue into the weekend,” Belscher said.

The National Retail Foundation also expects a record number of in-store and online shoppers from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. This year should see 183.4 million, up from 182 million last year.