Thanksgiving is one of the most traveled holidays of the year. Tens of millions of people will also be traveling by road and plane before and after the holidays, and AccuWeather meteorologists say travel will be feast or famine, depending on where the trip takes them.

A new travel record is expected for Thanksgiving 2024. According to AAA, 79.9 million people are expected to travel throughout Thanksgiving week. This includes both air travelers and people who travel by car. That’s 1.7 million more people than during Thanksgiving week last year.

The storm-weary West will continue to struggle with rain and snow. Although a repeat of last week’s bomb cyclone is not expected, further rainfall is expected. Additionally, it will rain and snow further south than last week. Rain will drench Central California, mostly on Tuesday. As moisture in the mountains meets colder air, several feet of snow is expected to accumulate.

This storm will move further east and produce snow in the Utah Wasatch and the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Further north, there will also be some snow in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. While there will be slightly less snowfall than in California, several feet of snow will still accumulate on mountain peaks.

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

Calmer weather is expected for the holiday itself as the strong current moves eastwards.

The week will start quietly in the central part of the country, meaning travel by land or air should be smooth on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the storm will move into the Rocky Mountains and into the plains. Most of the day will be dry, although some snow could fall as far south as Kansas in the afternoon, making travel a little more difficult compared to earlier in the week. However, for most of the region, travel will be less dangerous than further west.

The cold air will move southward for Thanksgiving. However, there is likely to be less rainfall in the south and east.

Travel in the southeast will be easy on Wednesday. Everything will change on Wednesday evening and Thursday.

As the storm moves southeast across the country, thunderstorms will occur across much of the region. In fact, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that some of these thunderstorms could have serious consequences. Rain caused by the thunderstorms could cause traffic congestion on roads and lightning-related delays are possible at airports in cities from Houston to Atlanta. There is also the possibility of other dangers.

“Thunderstorms from Wednesday night into Thursday in the south could spell trouble for any last-minute travelers as they may be accompanied by heavy rainfall, damaging wind gusts and even isolated tornadoes,” Belscher warned.

Travel conditions should improve on Friday, but there could be lingering impacts along the coast.

Weather will be a bigger concern in the Northeast and Great Lakes during Thanksgiving week as multiple storms sweep across the regions. The week will begin with snow, rain or a mix of rain and snow from Minnesota to Michigan and south into the Ohio and Tennessee valleys.

On Tuesday, colder air with gale-force winds will arrive in the Great Lakes valleys as well as Ohio and Tennessee. Some snow showers are expected in parts of Wisconsin and Michigan. Meanwhile, there will be rain across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Some snow is also possible in northern New England and northern New York State.

The only obstacle to travel the day before Thanksgiving will be the wind around the Great Lakes and northern New England. Snow showers are also possible in these regions.

While the Southeast may experience severe thunderstorms on Thanksgiving, the storm will cause other problems further north. Snow showers will continue in the western Great Lakes, but there will be rain in the mid-Atlantic and there will be a blanket of snow along the northern edge of the precipitation shield.

Some locations near the border between rain and snow may experience precipitation that starts as snow but then mixes with rain and turns into rain.

The cold air further west will also affect much of the East following the Thanksgiving storm. The cool air flowing over the Great Lakes, which are still relatively warm in late November and early December, will result in lake-effect snow. Snow flurries may fly dozens of miles from the lakes, but locations closer to the Great Lakes will see more consistent and heavier snow. Persistent cold air could lead to a protracted lake effect event.

“Post-vacation travelers near the Great Lakes will be in the clear as lake effect snow will continue into the weekend,” Belscher said.

Whether you’re traveling just a few miles, flying across the country, or something in between, it’s always a good idea to check the free AccuWeather app before heading to your destination.

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