Here’s where winter storms could affect Thanksgiving travel

On By Littum

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Winter storm warnings going into Thanksgiving week stretch from California to the East Coast, and the potential for snow — especially in the Northeast — could affect plans as travel is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

Key facts

A cold front is expected to sweep across the Midwest and South beginning Wednesday night and spread east on Thanksgiving Day, bringing precipitation and cold temperatures.

Winter storms hit California and Nevada’s Sierra Nevada on Tuesday and moved into Colorado and Utah on Wednesday, where up to 36 inches of snow are expected expected to fall in parts of the mountains in the evening, and up to 4 inches could fall in the Denver metro area.

The storm is expected to continue moving east and move into the Midwest and Ohio Valley, which could see up to an inch of snow, and then into the Northeast, where low pressure tracking near New England brings the potential for widespread rain and snow beginning Thursday until Friday morning.

Snowfall Thursday and into Friday is possible in northern New York and Vermont, and rain and high-elevation snow could be seen on Thanksgiving in northwestern Connecticut, western Massachusetts and eastern New York.

A winter storm clock is in effect from late Thursday through Friday morning in western New York, the eastern Catskills, parts of Vermont and Delaware, and extends to the Eastern Lake Onatrio region from Friday afternoon through Monday.

Those traveling by car in areas from Boston to New York City should be prepared for a wet drive, whether it’s snow or heavy rain.

A cold snap the weekend after Thanksgiving will send freezing weather to the Great Lakes Midwest and Northeast with highs in the 20s expected in Chicago, Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio.

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What to look for

How weather affects travel. Nearly 80 million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles between Tuesday and next Monday for the holiday. Car travel is expected to overtake pre-pandemic levels — 70.6 million people drove to their Thanksgiving destinations in 2019, AAA reports, and 71.7 million are expected to do so this year. Nearly 6 million people are expected to fly domestically, up 11% from 2019, and international bookings are up 23% over last Thanksgiving. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon are the worst times to travel by car, AAA reported, with traffic jams also expected most of the day Sunday, especially after 6 p.m.

Surprising facts

It’s been five years since Thanksgiving brought seriousness devastating winter weather to parts of the United States. In 2019, a bomb cyclone brought near-hurricane-force winds to the West Coast and rain that flooded San Diego. Hail fell in Los Angeles the day before Thanksgiving, and three members of an Arizona family died after their truck was swept away in a flooded creek. The year before, in 2018, New York City saw its coldest Thanksgiving since 1901, when temperatures in Central Park hit 19 degrees, and other East Coast cities, including Washington DC, also saw near-record cold temperatures.

Further reading

ForbesThanksgiving Air Travel Set to Record High as Travel Finally Returns to Pre-Pandemic LevelsBy Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesUS May See Healthy Thanksgiving – But Covid, RSV May Rise Before Christmas, CDC WarnsBy Mary Whitfill Roeloffs
ForbesThanksgiving shopping: A store-brand meal is nearly $20 less than name-brand, report saysBy Molly Bohannon