by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Wed November 22, 2023
Americans hitting the road or taking to the skies during the
Thanksgiving holiday period need to be aware of the potential congestion issues
associated with the record number of travelers and storm systems sweeping
across the United States.
According to Weather.com,
a storm system will move across the East early Wednesday, with snow possible in
parts of New England and upstate New York. Rain showers and thunderstorms are also
possible toward the Southeast coast.
In the Pacific Northwest, a few rain or snow showers will
likely start the holiday travel period, while a storm system in the Northwest
will spread snow into portions of the interior West on Thanksgiving.
As for the days following
the holiday, snow is expected in the Rockies on Friday, with the storm
tracking across the Plains, Midwest and South this weekend. Rain and snow are
expected in the north, while wet weather will likely reach the East by Sunday
night.
The roads will also be packed with cars this holiday season,
as AAA projects that 55.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from
home over the Thanksgiving holiday 2023. This year’s forecast predicts an
increase of 2.3 percent over last year and marks the third-highest fall holiday
forecast since AAA began tracking in 2000.
Travelers from the United States are most likely to drive
to their destination, with 49.1 million people getting behind the wheel, an
increase of 1.7 percent compared to 2022. Thankfully, average gasoline prices
are down, making the cost of travel cheaper.
As for air travel, the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) expects to screen 30 million passengers, with the Tuesday
and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after being the busiest.
In total, the government agency estimates that 2.6
million passengers will be screened on Tuesday, November 21; 2.7 million
passengers on Wednesday, November 22; and 2.9 million passengers on Sunday,
November 26.
As for Americans traveling by cruise, bus, and train over
the holiday period, AAA expects 1.55 million people will head out of town using
these other modes of transportation, up nearly 11 percent.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
