The FOX Forecast Center is monitoring the weather through Thanksgiving week and predicts some potential disruptions, but the majority of travelers should reach their destination without experiencing any extreme weather. Getting home can be a different story, especially in the East.

Nearly 80 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more, with peak travel days on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the Sunday after.

The holiday week starts with stormy conditions on the West Coast and fast moving across the Great Lakes.

The storm system over the northern part of the US is expected to leave the country on Tuesday, resulting in minimal accumulations, but the system over the West Coast could pose challenges.

Worst and best days to travel on the West Coast

(FOX Weather)

Similar to the recent atmospheric river event, the invasion of moisture along the west coast is expected to result in heavy rain and gusty winds in the lower elevations and mountain snow.

Cities like Portland, Oregon and San Francisco are likely to see the heaviest precipitation, although the storm’s severity is expected to be much less than the recent deadly atmospheric river event that caused tree falls and flooding.

The energy will set the stage for a cross-country skiing event, but at least during the actual holiday it will remain quite disorganized.

During the period Tuesday through Thursday, scattered areas of precipitation are expected to work their way through the Rockies and the South, but remain under severe weather criteria.

In the Intermountain West, those driving through Colorado, Utah, Nevada and the mountains of California can expect to encounter areas of snow-covered roads. The storm could also cause delays at airports in places like Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

THANKSGIVING TRAVEL WINTER STORM WEATHER TRACKER: LIVE MAPS, AIRPORT STATUS, FLIGHT DELAYS, FORECASTS AND MORE

Major hubs like Atlanta and Charlotte will see the impact of the storm system, with showers creeping into the Mid-Atlantic. But the timing is expected to be rather fortunate.

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Best times to travel in the East

The worst weather in the South is expected on the least busy flying day of the year: Thanksgiving Day itself. In 2023, only 1.5 million travelers passed through airport checkpoints, significantly fewer than the days before and after the holidays.

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Thanksgiving Day Forecast

Burgeoning storm for later this week in the East?

The FOX Forecast Center expects Black Friday to be the most disruptive day for travel, especially along the East Coast, as an area of ​​low pressure tries to develop off the East Coast.

Depending on the exact location of the low pressure center will determine whether the East Coast will only see occasional showers or if the day will be a washout – or more.

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Thanksgiving weekend forecast

The forecast remains uncertain, but there is a growing chance of impactful winter weather in the Interior Northeast and back across the Great Lakes, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

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Model forecast differences for Thanksgiving weekend

The lake effect snow will likely continue into next weekend. Either way, the combination of heavy traffic, high winds and the potential for precipitation will lead to delays on roads and at airports along the I-95 corridor.

Meanwhile, calm weather is expected in much of the rest of the country.

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Forecast for Friday November 29

The coldest air of the season will close out the holiday weekend

And behind the wet weather will be a significant drop in temperatures, with the coldest air of the season.

THE MOST WEATHER DELAYED AIRPORTS DURING HOLIDAYS

An intrusion of cold air from Canada, starting on Thanksgiving Day and working its way south and east, is guaranteed to precede the frontal boundary.

The air mass will be the coldest of the season, with few areas east of the Rockies remaining unaffected.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, communities in the Northern Plains and near the Canadian border could see temperatures dip below zero, with even cooler wind chills.

The cold air will likely keep Chicago from getting above freezing and could leave New York struggling to reach the 40s as people head to the malls and start their journey home after November 28.

Unlike previous periods of cold air that had minimal staying power, this air mass is expected to keep temperatures cool across most of the eastern U.S. through the first week of December.