While airlines prepare for what is expected to be… Busiest Thanksgiving ever As more Americans prepare to head out for the long weekend, stormy weather could upend millions' plans.
More than 10 million people have already passed through TSA checkpoints since Thursday, far exceeding pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. Nearly 50,000 flights are expected to be operated on Wednesday alone. In order to handle this payload, the FAA is opening additional airspace normally reserved for the military along the East Coast.
Severe storms have already battered parts of the deep south. Reported tornadoes damaged homes and knocked out power in Mississippi on Monday evening, and tree branches fell on homes in Louisiana.
Storms have moved to the Southeast, where some areas could see wind gusts up to 60 mph, Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams reported. Tuesday night, parts of the Northeast could see rain, snow, ice and winds of up to 60 mph.
Snow may fall in higher elevation areas across the Northeast, with some areas receiving 1 to 3 inches of snow, but most of it will be compacted and melted by rain on Wednesday, according to the Verge. CBS Boston.
There may be some localized flooding in parts of Massachusetts on Wednesday, CBS Boston reports, while high winds and rain could lead to flight delays and cancellations on what is typically the busiest travel day of the year.
“While we cannot control the weather, we will also use every tool at our disposal to keep cancellations and delays as low as possible in the first place, including working collaboratively with airlines,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
Rail may also be supported. Amtrak's high-speed Acela service between Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., expects a roughly 25% jump in ridership. Amtrak Chairman Roger Harris told CBS News that the company expects about 125,000 customers per day throughout Thanksgiving week.
AAA expects more than 49 million Americans will travel by car on Thanksgiving this year, thanks in part to gas prices that are 37 cents cheaper than this time last year. This saves drivers about $5 each time they fill the tank, according to AAA spokesman Andrew Gross.
Most of the country will see relatively warm and dry weather on Thanksgiving Day, except for parts of the northern Plains and Frontier, which could see some snow, according to the Weather Channel.
For the trip home, there is a chance of some snow and sleet in the Northeast on Sunday, according to the Weather Channel.
Chris Van Cleave contributed reporting.
