Thanksgiving Weather Updates: Storm warnings hit U.S. amid travel chaos

Winter weather threatens Thanksgiving travel and parades

An impactful storm system is poised to disrupt Thanksgiving travel plans and holiday festivities across multiple regions of the United States, with particular concerns for major parades and travel hubs in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, according to forecasters.

This year’s holiday is expected to see record-breaking travel numbers, with AAA projecting 79.9 million Americans taking to the roads and skies throughout the week.

However, the developing weather system could bring strong wind, heavy rain, and accumulating snow to parts of the country during Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

Read the full story by Tom Howarth on Newsweek.

Pete Buttigieg shares reminder to use flight delay and cancelation platform

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shared a reminder on X to use “easy-to-use dashboard” FlightRights.gov, which can help passengers navigate flight cancelations or delays.

Lake-effect snow to cause whiteouts and heavy snowfall

AccuWeather meteorologists predict that a massive natural snowmaking machine will be cranked on high, covering much of the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend and early next week as Arctic air sweeps across the Great Lakes area in the aftermath of late-November snow and downpours.

Local circumstances might vary dramatically from one mile to the next, ranging from non-accumulating flurries to total whiteouts. The heavy snowfall and the possibility of blowing and drifting snow might leave some vehicles stranded on the road, particularly long-distance commuters who have little to no expertise with lake-effect snow.

Full list of Colorado road closures amid heavy pre-Thanksgiving snow

Several Colorado roads were closed on Wednesday morning because of a winter storm that arrived as some people set out for Thanksgiving travel.

Various weather impacts are expected across the nation as almost 80 million Americans are set to travel for the holiday, the American Automobile Association reported. AccuWeather forecasts that “significant travel disruptions are anticipated for tens of millions” of travelers.

The busiest travel days were expected to be Tuesday and Wednesday. In Colorado, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have issued a slew of winter weather warnings, with heavy snow expected to impact some roads for holiday travelers.

Read the full story by Anna Skinner on Newsweek.

‘Severe storms’ expected today and Thanksgiving Day

The National Weather Service issued a “strong to severe” storm warning for a vast expanse of the Southeastern U.S. on Wednesday and Thursday, including a “marginal risk” of severe storms.

Cold weather hitting Florida after Thanksgiving

A powerful polar cold front is forecast to pass across Central Florida on Sunday, December 1, bringing abnormally chilly air to descend the peninsula. The air arriving late this weekend is presently racing up northwest of Hudson Bay in Canada, starting from the Arctic Circle.

This front will bring temperatures in the 30s and 40s to Central Florida, with high 30s likely as far south as Osceola County. Monday and Tuesday mornings northwest of I-4 may see temperatures drop below freezing.

New York Governor’s urgent plea to Thanksgiving travelers

New York’s governor has issued a plea to people traveling for Thanksgiving to use extra caution on the roads.

Governor Kathy Hochul raised concerns about holiday travel this weekend as New York is set to be hit with a dangerous winter storm, which is expected to bring snow and freezing rain as well as major road closures.

In a statement, Hochul told state residents: “As we come together this Thanksgiving, I urge all New Yorkers to stay alert, monitor local forecasts, and exercise caution as they travel to be with family and friends this holiday weekend as we experience winter weather across the State.”

She continued: “If you are traveling, please plan ahead, and prioritize your safety and the safety of others to ensure we can all spend this holiday with our loved ones—safely and warmly.”

Read in full from Sophie Clark on Newsweek.

Tastiest Thanksgiving town temperature map

The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) has released a temperature map for all the tastiest places in the United States this Thanksgiving.

One of the coldest towns with a Thanksgiving-related name is Lima (bean) in Minnesota, where low temperatures will be at 14.8F tomorrow, with highs of 34.5F.

Slightly warmer, but certainly more delicious-sounding is Pie Town, New Mexico which will have lows of 23F and highs of 46.3F.

Meanwhile, baking away with highs of 74.5F and lows of 46.8F is Mayo, Florida.

Check out the full map below.

When is the best time to travel for Thanksgiving?

The AAA and INRIX have revealed the best, and worst, times to travel for Thanksgiving this year.

One of the worst times to drive home for the holidays is this afternoon, while the best day is Thanksgiving Day.

The worst:

• Wednesday, Nov. 27: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 29: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 30: 4 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 1: noon to 6 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 2: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The best:

• Wednesday, Nov. 27: Before 10 a.m.
• Friday, Nov. 29: After 1 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 30: Before 1 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 1: Before 1 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 2: Before 8 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

Top five worst airports for weather delays

With snow storms and an Arctic freeze forecast over Thanksgiving, travel delays are almost inevitable. But some airports are worst than others for letting a bit of winter weather slow them down.

New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport was by far the worst offender, according to a list of the worst airports for weather delays, compiled by The Weather Channel.

Travelers flying out of Newark have a two in three chance of being delayed, typically due to thunderstorms or snow.

San Francisco International Airport was in second place with more than half of all its flights hit by weather-related delays.

See the full list of the five worst airports for weather delays below;

1. Newark Airport
2. San Francisco International Airport
3. Chicago O’Hare Airport
4. New York’s La Guardia Airport
5. Boston Logan International Airport

Lake effect snow is expected to hit Midwest and Northeast this weekend

Lake effect snow is expected to affect the Midwest and parts of the Northeast after this weekend, AccuWeather predicts.

The storms, which are common across the Great Lakes, typically bring heavy snowfall in narrow areas.

Areas hit by the weather phenomenon can expect several inches of snowfall per hour.

TSA will screen at least 2.8 million Thanksgiving travelers today

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has said that today is likely to be one of the busiest periods for air travel over the holiday period.

Around 18.3 million people, a six percent rise on last year, are expected to pass through U.S. airports over the entire Thanksgiving period.

At least 2.8 million of those are set to pass through the airports today alone.

TSA Administrator David Pekosk assured travelers that the agency was prepared for a record-breaking Thanksgiving.

“This will be the busiest Thanksgiving ever in terms of air travel,” Pekoske told AP. “Fortunately, our staffing is also at the highest levels that they have ever been. We are ready.”

More than 650 flights delayed on one of busiest Thanksgiving travel days

More than 650 flights delayed on one of busiest days for Thanksgiving travel.

Another 29 flights have been canceled in the U.S. today, as of 12 p.m. ET today.

The travel chaos comes as millions head home for the holidays today amid winter storms and freezing temperatures.

Travel delays mount today

FlightAware, a flight-tracking service, reported over 1,230 aircraft delays in or out of the United States on Wednesday, including 29 cancellations.

On Tuesday, there were 4,832 U.S. delays and 82 cancellations. Over 4,400 delays occurred in the U.S. on both Sunday and Monday.

Thanksgiving snow maps shows how much could hit each state

Several states across the U.S. will see a white Thanksgiving, with the first arctic blast of the season bringing snowfall.

Weather maps from the National Digital Forecast Database show how many inches of snow will fall hour by hour on the day of Thanksgiving across the country.

An arctic blast will plunge temperatures across the northern Plains, while those in the northeast are most likely to get a white Thanksgiving.

As the clock strikes midnight to mark Thanksgiving on the East Coast, northern Maine will see the most new snow, with up to 2.5 inches near the Canadian border.

Though it will still be the night before Thanksgiving in Colorado, it will have the most new snow at 12 a.m. EST, with up to 41 inches of new snow. However, this is around the Rocky Mountains area, near the city of Salida. In neighboring Utah, there will be around 25 inches of new snow near the city of Price, and up to 10 inches of new snow will have fallen in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Read the full story by Kimberly Mannion on Newsweek.

Watch snow pile up in timelapse video

A video shared by FOX Weather shows the snow piling up at a ski resort in Colorado.

Flood warning issued for Louisiana and Florida

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued flood warnings for Louisiana and Florida.

The warning remains in place for the Calcasieu River, near Glenmora, in Louisiana, and Withlacoochee River, Florida, until further notice.

“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” the NWS warns.

Colorado and Utah planes sprayed with deicing solution

According to an update from the Federal Aviation Administration, planes at Denver International and Salt Lake City International airports are being sprayed with deicing solution to remove snow and ice before departure.

Snow and ice cause an average delay of 26 minutes for flights landing at Denver International Airport. According to the FAA, flights from both airports will continue to depart as scheduled.

Thanksgiving travelers complain of long lines and packed airports

Thanksgiving travelers are already starting to see evidence of the expected record-breaking holiday travel this year with long lines and busy airports.

Laura Miers was picking her mother up from Atlanta Airport in the early hours of Wednesday when she faced a 20 minute line just to enter the airport, where she said she had “never seen so many people at the airport here in my life.”

“My mom’s plane landed at 1am last night. There was a line to enter the airport over 20 minutes long that started at the entrance, & they had countless cops directing traffic, & cruisers with flashing lights arranged all over the roadways.

“I have never seen so many people at the airport here in my life, & ESPECIALLY not at 1am. Record Thanksgiving travel is expected in the US. I feel doom approaching.”

Terrifying video shows driver who ‘can’t even see the road’ during heavy snowfall

A Colorado motorist shared a terrifying clip of them driving through heavy snow with very limited visibility during the early hours of Wednesday.

“Can’t even see the road. I don’t know where I’m driving,” driver Nathan Booth says during the clip, filmed as he commuted along snow covered roads, north of Denver.

Map shows arctic blast to cause shockingly cold temperatures in every state

A powerful Arctic blast is forecast to plunge the United States into unusually cold temperatures, with every state experiencing a chill starting from Wednesday.

A map shared on Tuesday by Weather Track US, a group run by student weather enthusiasts, forecast that temperatures could reach as far as 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average temperatures in some areas.

The forecast was for Wednesday until Thursday, December 5.

The group posted the map to X, writing that the cold air would leave most of the lower 48 states at least 10 degrees below average. All of the lower 48 will be affected by the blast.

Read the full story by Flynn Nicholls on Newsweek.

Cold conditions to be expected on Thanksgiving

Much of the U.S. will be dry but chilly on Thanksgiving Day, with the exception of the East, which will have a disruptive storm. Stormy weather will spread from the Southeast to the Northeast. Some snow may fall in upper areas of the Interior Northeast and northern New England, but rain will fall primarily at lower levels and near the coast.

Rain and thunder will also hamper the pleasure in sections of the mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Gulf Coast. A few heavier thunderstorms may develop in these areas, particularly later in the morning or early afternoon.

FAA daily air traffic report revealed

Low clouds and wind may have an impact on flights in various locations across the U.S., according to a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic advisory issued Wednesday morning.

The FAA says those affected could be:

• Boston
• Tampa
• Dallas
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Seattle

Meanwhile, the FAA warns snow may cause delays in Minneapolis and Denver.

Avalanche warnings issued for Thanksgiving

Avalanche warnings are in place across Colorado as travelers set out to meet family and friends for Thanksgiving.

Warnings issued by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) and relayed by the National Weather Service (NWS) are in place until Thursday evening for the West Elk Mountains.

Park Range, Flat Tops, Gore Range, Indian Peaks, Sawatch Range, Elk Mountains, and the western and southern San Juan Mountains all have warnings in place until Wednesday evening.

“Large and dangerous avalanches will be very easy to trigger in many places,” an NWS update said.

“Travel in backcountry avalanche terrain is not recommended in the mentioned areas.”

Read the full story by Tom Howarth on Newsweek.

‘First arctic outbreak of the season’ expected through weekend

The National Weather Service has announced that the “first arctic outbreak of the season” is expected to make its way through the east of the U.S. throughout the weekend.

Drivers in 10 states warned over ‘hazardous’ conditions

Thick fog warnings are in place across 10 U.S. states, with the National Weather Service (NWS) advising drivers to be aware of potentially dangerous conditions.

These “dense fog advisories” have been given to large sections of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina, as well as smaller regions within Florida, Idaho, Maine, Texas and Washington.

According to the NWS, dense fog advisories are issued when “widespread fog is expected to reduce visibilities to 1/4 mile or less over a large area for an extended period of time (2 or more hours).

“Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous,” they added.

“The dense patchy nature of this fog can make travel more dangerous as visibility can fall rapidly over short distances.”

The fog advisories are mostly in place until 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. local time this morning.

Read the full story by Jess Thompson on Newsweek.