A record number of people are expected to travel across the United States on Thanksgiving, whether by plane, train, or car.
Nearly 82 million people are expected to travel at least 80 kilometers (50 miles) between November 25 and December 1, an increase of 1.6 million people compared to last year’s holiday, according to a AAA report released on Monday.
Most of them will travel by car, with about 73.2 million people traveling by car, according to AAA. This represents a 1.8% increase in the number of car travelers compared to the same period in 2024.
AAA projects that 6 million people will travel by plane across the country during the holiday, a 2% increase from last year. However, due to concerns over recent flight delays and cancellations, AAA also stated that this number could drop slightly if travelers make last-minute plans to use other modes of transportation. The staff shortage during the prolonged government shutdown earlier this month resulted in mass flight disruptions.
The FAA suspended its directive requesting an emergency reduction in flights, allowing airlines to resume normal operations. Aviation experts warned that it could take some time for flights to return to normal, but industry leaders seemed confident that air operations would return to pre-shutdown levels in time for the intense Thanksgiving travel rush. The weather forecast for the start and end of the holiday in some parts of the country could cause disruptions and delays in flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated on Friday that it expects the holiday travel period to be the busiest for air travel on Thanksgiving in 15 years, with Tuesday being the busiest day.
The FAA reported on Friday that it expects the upcoming holiday travel period to be the busiest for air travel on Thanksgiving in 15 years, with Tuesday being the busiest day.
There is a projected 8.5% increase in travel by other modes of transportation — bus, train, and cruise — this year, with a likely increase in last-minute bookings for buses and trains.
“People are willing to face the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to create unforgettable memories, whether visiting family or meeting friends,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, in a statement on Monday.
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Planning to drive in the afternoon? Think twice.
According to INRIX, a transportation analytics company, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons are expected to be the times of heaviest congestion in major metropolitan areas.
If driving, the best times to hit the road during the holiday will be before noon on Tuesday and before 11 a.m. on Wednesday to avoid congestion, according to the company. Thanksgiving Day will have minimal impact on traffic.
When returning home after the holiday, travelers are advised to start driving before noon on any day except Monday. The Sunday after Thanksgiving will likely have heavy traffic most of the day, and the best time to travel on Monday will be after 8 p.m., according to INRIX.
The weather may be unstable, but it should improve for your return trip.
During peak travel times, from Monday to Wednesday, rain stretching from southern Texas to Minnesota will move across the country toward the east, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
“From Monday to Tuesday, there will likely be some issues across Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and northwest Louisiana,” said Bob Oravec, chief meteorologist at the NWS, to NPR.
On Thanksgiving, the weather will be a bit drier across the US. Temperatures will be lower than average across most of the country on Thanksgiving morning, with the central US regions recording temperatures in the -10°C range. On Black Friday, there will be above-average temperatures from the Great Plains to the West Coast, with places like Denver, Colorado, recording temperatures in the 10°C range, Oravec said.
The worst weather will occur across much of the central and eastern US, where lake-effect snow squalls from the Great Lakes will occur, Oravec said.
For travelers returning home on Friday and Saturday, the weather should be good across much of the country, he stated. But a storm system is expected to develop over the weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, the system could bring heavy snow to western Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota, as well as parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to Oravec. On Sunday, from Texas to Missouri and Illinois, the chance of rain is expected to increase.
Source: npr.org by Chandelis Duster