As Thanksgiving travel is in full swing, many have already reached their destinations. However, for those still on the move, a storm is making its way from the Rockies to the Midwest and Northeast, bringing rain and snow and likely causing disruptions to flights and road travel.
Nearly 3 million people were expected to be screened by the TSA on Wednesday, and a record 71.7 million were anticipated to travel by car over Thanksgiving, surpassing last year’s figures by over 1 million.
The storm, which began with snow over the Rockies on Wednesday morning, is expected to travel east throughout the day, affecting the Midwest and Northeast. It will bring rain, with potential ice and snow, intensifying in the evening from St. Louis to Indianapolis and into Pittsburgh.
Overnight, the storm will continue eastward, bringing cold rain along the I-95 corridor from Richmond to Boston early Thanksgiving morning.
By Wednesday night, there were nearly 4,000 flight delays and 45 cancellations within, into, or out of the U.S., according to FlightAware.
American Airlines reported operating nearly 6,400 flights on Tuesday and anticipated over 650,000 travelers on Wednesday, with almost 4.5 flights departing every minute.
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey experienced a ground delay due to a shortage of air traffic controllers from 1 p.m. ET to 2 a.m. Thursday, leading to over 300 delays, some lasting at least 95 minutes.
New Agency warned of delays in Denver and Salt Lake City due to snow and ice, with airports deicing planes to prepare for departure. Denver led with 600 flight delays on Wednesday.
Other cities experiencing significant delays included Boston, Dallas, and Las Vegas, with delays reaching triple digits. Fog in Tampa caused 37 outbound delays, and low ceilings in Seattle and Los Angeles were expected to impact operations, according to the News Agency.
For road travelers, rain affected I-80, I-64, and I-75 on Wednesday, while snow impacted I-25 and I-70 in the Rockies.
Thanksgiving Day will bring a mix of rain and snow along the I-95 corridor from Florida to Maine, with heavy snow expected in the interior Northeast and New England.
Upstate New York and interior New England could see 1 to 3 inches of wet snow, with localized totals exceeding 6 inches at higher elevations. Northeast Pennsylvania to New Hampshire could see 3 to 6 inches of snow or more, with windy conditions possibly leading to power outages.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City will proceed despite the forecast of soaking rain and temperatures in the 40s. Winds are expected to be under 10 mph, allowing the parade’s iconic balloons to fly.
East Coast cities including Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York, Hartford, and Boston can expect cold rain, with totals between 0.5 to 1 inch, making road travel slick from Virginia to Maine.
By Friday morning, travel conditions should return to normal as the storm system moves out of New England. However, cold winds and lake-effect snow around the Great Lakes will continue through Sunday.
Travelers should monitor airport hubs like Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, NYC, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo for updates.