Thanksgiving is one of the most traveled holidays of the year. Tens of millions will also hit the roads and airways before and after the holidays, and AccuWeather meteorologists say travel will be feast or famine depending on where someone travels.

A new travel record is expected for Thanksgiving 2024. According to AAA, 79.9 million people are expected to travel during Thanksgiving week. This includes both air travelers and those traveling by car. This is 1.7 million more people than last year’s Thanksgiving week.

The storm-weary West will continue to experience rain and snow. Although a repeat of last week’s bomb cyclone is not expected, more precipitation is on the way. Additionally, the rain and snow will be further south than during last week’s event. Rain will drench Central California, most of it Tuesday. As mountain moisture meets colder air, several feet of snow is expected to accumulate.

This storm will continue to move eastward, bringing snow to Utah’s Wasatch and the Colorado Rockies. There will also be some snow a little further north in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. Although there will be slightly less snow than California, several feet of snow will still accumulate on mountain peaks.

“A tough area for travel will be in and around Denver as snow spreads across the area on Wednesday, where 1-7 inches of snow is expected to fall,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Emma Belscher.

Calmer weather is expected for the holiday itself as strong winds progress eastwards.

The week is off to a quiet start in the center of the country, meaning travel by land or air should be smooth on Tuesday.

The storm in the Rockies will make its way to the Plains on Wednesday. Most of the day will be dry, although some snow may fall in Kansas in the afternoon, making travel a bit more difficult compared to earlier in the week. However, for most of the region, travel will be less dangerous than further west.

Cold air will push south on Thanksgiving Day. However, precipitation should occur to the south and east.

Travel on Wednesday will be uneventful in the southeast. Things change on Wednesday evening and Thursday.

As the storm makes its way across the country to the southeast, thunderstorms will develop across much of the region. In fact, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that some of those thunderstorms could become severe. Rain from the thunderstorms could cause flooding on roads and lightning delays are possible at airports in cities from Houston to Atlanta. There will also be potential other dangers.

“Thunderstorms Wednesday evening through Thursday in the South could pose problems for last-minute travelers as they could be accompanied by flooding rain showers, damaging winds and even isolated tornadoes,” Belscher warned.

Travel conditions should improve Friday, but there could be lingering impacts along the coast.

Weather will be more of an issue in the Northeast and Great Lakes during Thanksgiving week as multiple storms move through the regions. The week will start with snow, rain or a mix of rain and snow from Minnesota to Michigan and south into the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. A dry day is expected along Interstate 95.

Colder air will arrive in the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Tennessee valleys on Tuesday due to gusty winds. Parts of Wisconsin and Michigan will likely see some snow showers. Meanwhile, rain will fall in the northeast and mid-Atlantic. Some snow is also possible in northern New England and far UPstate New York.

The only hurdle to traveling the day before Thanksgiving will be the wind around the Great Lakes and northern New England. Some snow showers may also occur in those regions.

While the Southeast may see severe thunderstorms on Thanksgiving, the storm will pose other problems further north. The western Great Lakes will still get snow showers, but the mid-Atlantic will see rain with a band of snow at the northern edge of the precipitation shield.

In some places near the rain-snow border, precipitation may start as snow before mixing with rain and changing to rain.

Cold air further west will also include much of the East in the wake of the Thanksgiving storm. Cold air moving over the Great Lakes, which are still relatively warm in late November and early December, will produce lake-effect snow. Flurries can fly tens of miles away from the lakes, but locations closer to the Great Lakes will have more stable, heavier snow. Long-term cold air could make this a long-lasting lake effect event.

“Post-holiday travelers near the Great Lakes will not be clear as lake effect snow will continue into the weekend,” Belscher said.

Whether you’re traveling just a few miles, flying across the country, or somewhere in between, it’s always a good idea to check the free AccuWeather app before heading to your destination.

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