Two storms loom over next week’s Thanksgiving holiday with the potential to cause delays during the busiest travel period of the year, when close to 82 million Americans are expected to take to the road, rail or sky. The first storm system is expected to develop next Monday, Nov. 24, and bring rain to the southern Plains as it tracks into the Southeast and potentially the mid-Atlantic or Northeast through Tuesday. Meanwhile, an area from Missouri to Texas will likely see some rain on Wednesday into Thanksgiving Day, with the potential for snow where colder air is able to take hold.
Two storms loom over next week’s Thanksgiving holiday with the potential to cause delays during the busiest travel period of the year, when close to 82 million Americans are expected to take to the road, rail or sky.
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The first storm system is expected to develop next Monday, Nov. 24, and bring rain to the southern Plains as it tracks into the Southeast and potentially the mid-Atlantic or Northeast through Tuesday.
According to AAA, next Tuesday afternoon is supposed to be one of the most congested periods on the roads before Thanksgiving Day itself.
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FILE – NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 27: Passengers line up at the gate for an Amtrak train on the day before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend November 27, 2002 in New York City. Airline and train employees are preparing for one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
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FILE – Traffic moves along Interstate 80 in Emeryville, California, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.
(Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images) -
FILE – Travelers wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Dallas, Texas, US, on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. US air travel is starting to show signs of strain as lawmakers remain divided over a government shutdown that has stretched into its third week.
(Photographer: Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images) -
FILE – Los Angeles, CA – November 26: A child rests on luggage while waiting in line to check in at the ticketing counter at LAX as large crowds travel for the Thanksgiving holiday at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) -
FILE – Travelers wait in line to go through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoint at the Albany International Airport on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024 in Colonie, N.Y. This Thanksgiving holiday travel is expected to be very busy. (Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
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FILE – Traffic came to a standstill on Route 3 northbound in Braintree as seen in a car’s rearview mirror after a multi-car accident shut down the 3 travel lanes making it a 38 minute backup. The mass exodus of Thanksgiving travelers began early Wednesday morning. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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While the exact track of this first system is still coming into focus, long-range forecasts appear to be in good agreement that the South will see several days of rain which could cause delays at airports like Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Whether the mid-Atlantic or Northeast see significant storm impacts remains something of an open question.
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Meanwhile, a second storm system will bring rain and colder conditions to the Pacific Northwest next Monday and is expected to dive across the country by midweek.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, an area from Missouri to Texas will likely see some rain on Wednesday into Thanksgiving Day, with the potential for snow where colder air is able to take hold.
“Early long-range guidance leans toward more rain than snow, but confidence is low when it comes to the exact setup or severity.”
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Meanwhile, the West, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and much of the Southeast are expected to have dry conditions on Thanksgiving Day.
NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 22: The Thanksgiving Turkey makes its way during the 81st annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 22, 2007, in New York City. (Photo by Hiroko Masuike/Getty Images)
( Hiroko Masuike / Getty Images)
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East Coast Thanksgiving Day parades will also likely enjoy the last bits of the unseasonable warmth, which is currently bringing spring-like temperatures across the South ahead of a colder winter pattern that long-range forecasts believe will arrive just in time to usher in December.
Download the FOX Weather App to stay updated as the specifics of the holiday week forecast become clearer.
