With Thanksgiving holiday travel well underway, many travelers have successfully reached their destinations; however, others face a storm tracking from the Rockies to the Midwest and Northeast, expected to impact conditions through Thursday. This storm is anticipated to produce rain and snow, likely affecting both flight schedules and road congestion.
On Wednesday, the Transportation Security Administration projected that nearly 3 million individuals would be screened. A record 71.7 million travelers are anticipated to journey by automobile during Thanksgiving, surpassing last year’s figures by over 1 million travelers.
The storm, which deposited snow over the Rockies on Wednesday morning and weakened by the afternoon, is forecasted to move eastward throughout the day, affecting the Midwest and Northeast as Thanksgiving approaches. Areas from St. Louis to Indianapolis and into Pittsburgh can expect rain, with an escalating possibility of ice and snow later in the evening.
Overnight, the storm will continue its eastward progression, bringing chilly rain to the I-95 corridor, covering regions from Richmond to Boston in the early hours of Thanksgiving Day.
As of Wednesday evening, there were approximately 4,000 flight delays and 45 cancellations for flights within, into, or out of the United States, according to FlightAware. American Airlines reported that it operated nearly 6,400 mainline and regional flights on Tuesday and anticipated more than 650,000 customers traveling on Wednesday across nearly 6,400 flights—equating to nearly 4.5 American flights departing every minute.
A ground delay was initiated at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey starting at 1 p.m. ET, lasting until 2 a.m. Thursday, due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. Consequently, more than 300 delays were recorded at Newark on Wednesday, with some delays lasting at least 95 minutes.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on X Wednesday afternoon that delays were anticipated in Denver and Salt Lake City due to ongoing snow and ice conditions. In these locations, airport personnel were conducting de-icing procedures on aircraft in preparation for departure. Denver reported the highest number of delays, with approximately 600 flights impacted on Wednesday.
Delays were also prevalent in Boston, Dallas, and Las Vegas, where the delays reached into the triple digits, as stated by FlightAware. Additionally, fog in Tampa affected outbound departures, leading to 37 delayed flights at Tampa International Airport. Delays were also observed in Seattle and Los Angeles, where predicted low ceilings were expected to impact flight operations, as noted by the FAA earlier on Wednesday.
For those traveling by road, Interstate 80, Interstate 64, and Interstate 75 experienced disruptions due to rain on Wednesday, while Interstates 25 and 70 were affected by snow in the Rockies.
Thanksgiving Day conditions will bring considerable rain along the I-95 corridor stretching from Florida to Maine, along with heavy snowfall for the interior Northeast and New England. Regions north of the Hudson Valley in upstate New York and throughout interior New England should prepare for 1 to 3 inches of wet snow, with localized totals possibly exceeding 6 inches at the highest mountain peaks.
From northeast Pennsylvania to New Hampshire, snowfall of 3 to 6 inches is anticipated, with the potential for even greater accumulation, compounded by windy conditions that may lead to power outages in these areas. The iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will proceed regardless of rain conditions, as New York City is forecasted to experience significant rainfall with temperatures in the 40s. Winds are projected to remain below 10 mph, permitting the parade’s balloons to take flight, as these cannot operate if sustained winds reach 23 mph or if gusts exceed 34 mph.
East Coast cities, including Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York, Hartford, and Boston, should expect a cold rain, with precipitation totals ranging from 0.50 to 1 inch. Road conditions may become slippery as far south as Virginia and Maryland, notably throughout the I-95 corridor into Maine.
By the overnight hours leading into Friday morning, travel conditions are expected to normalize as the system moves away from the New England region. However, frigid winds in New England, combined with a lake effect snow event surrounding the Great Lakes, will persist through Sunday.
Key airport hubs to monitor on Thursday include Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo.
On Sunday — typically the busiest travel day of Thanksgiving week, as people return home from holiday trips — the cold will continue across swaths of the country, as well as lake effect snow around the Great Lakes and Northeast.
A total of 3 million people are predicted to pass through TSA on Sunday, nearing the record of 3.01 million that was set the Sunday following the Fourth of July holiday this year.
Chicago and Detroit may see some problems at their airports on Sunday, but the East and West Coast look favorable for road and air travel.
All the while, much of the northern Plains and upper Midwest will see bitter cold to close out the week, with temperatures forecast to be 10 to 20 degrees below average starting on Thanksgiving Day.
From Thursday to Sunday, Chicago will see highs in the 30s and 20s and lows in the teens, New York will see highs in the 40s and lows dip to around 28F, and D.C. will see highs in the 50s and 40s and lows in the 30s and high 20s. Minneapolis will see lows into the single digits over the weekend.
As travelers take to the skies to join loved ones, authorities are warning people who leave their cars in airport parking lots to take caution due to vehicle thefts.
Over 300 cars were stolen from the nation’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, this year — nearly three times as many as last year, Atlanta police said.
“Suspects can program key fobs to vehicles and that has gotten us here where we are now,” Maj. Kelley Collier, the Atlanta Airport precinct commander said. This year, police are adding cameras, motorcycle patrols, and new fencing to curb crime across its 30,000 parking spaces.
More than 50 vehicles were also stolen from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport this year, as police said a car theft ring targeting airports across multiple states was responsible. DFW Airport Police arrested the alleged ringleader last month.
A woman named Katy told NBC News that she and her husband went on a work trip and returned to Columbus International Airport to find their car was gone.
“In complete disbelief that we had parked attached to an airport and came out and our car was gone. We just assumed it was more safe and secure in that type of an environment,” she said. Police later found it abandoned and completely stripped.
“I’m hoping that the airports will beef up their security so that we can travel and come back and have your car there,” she added.