Weather Impacting Thanksgiving Travel During 2023 Holiday Period

With AAA projecting that 55.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday this year, the attention has turned to how the weather will impact journeys across the United States.

According to Weather.com, people planning on hitting the road or taking to the skies on the weekend before Thanksgiving—Saturday, November 18 and Sunday, November 19—are likely to avoid the worst of the holiday weather.

In the Northeast and parts of the West, travelers will experience some rain and breezy conditions, while Americans heading to higher elevations could experience some snow. Spotty showers are likely over parts of the central and southern Plains. 

Low pressure moving from the northeast Gulf of Mexico across Florida will bring heavy rain Wednesday into Thursday especially for southeast Florida which could produce areas of flooding. A Pacific storm stalled off California and another storm in the Northwest U.S. will rain and… pic.twitter.com/gEyllbTmBo

— National Weather Service (@NWS) November 15, 2023

As more travelers head out early next week to visit family and friends, weather conditions in California and the East Coast are expected to clear up, with a rain-free forecast across the Great Lakes, Southeast and most of the Plains.

By the time Tuesday night and Wednesday arrive, a large storm is expected to form over the central and eastern U.S., including major travel hubs like Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, New York City, Philadelphia and more.

Impact weather for Thanksgiving travel next Tue/Wed will come from CA system entering USA west coast via CA over the weekend. As you might expect difference of opinion exists with guidance as EURO has more of a phased system between 2 jet branches and the GFS keeps it as 2… pic.twitter.com/JjycNnwlbt

— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) November 15, 2023

If the fall storms are more severe than expected, Thanksgiving travelers could experience flight delays and cancellations, impacting travel across the country. Wintry weather could also affect the Northwest and central U.S. in the days before the holiday.

While conditions look less-than-favorable leading up to the fall holiday, the weather seems clear for Black Friday and throughout the post-Thanksgiving weekend. The Great Lakes and Northeast could experience sporadic rain or snow showers later in the weekend, but most people heading home should have clear skies.

Venturing to the Midwest or Northeast for Thanksgiving festivities?

Pack more than just your appetite — you'll want to pack your winter clothes too!

It looks like next week will turn progressively colder as an Arctic air mass () invades the U.S. ‍❄️ pic.twitter.com/BJWwDRPW3e

— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) November 15, 2023

In total, AAA Travel believes 49.1 million Americans will drive to their destinations for the fall holiday, while another 4.7 million will fly and 1.55 million will make the journey via cruise, bus, or train.

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore