As millions of Americans prepare for Thanksgiving travel, a series of weather systems are set to challenge both road and air travel across large parts of the country.
According to Weather.com and AccuWeather forecasts, heavy rain, severe thunderstorms, and wintry conditions are expected to cause delays and disruptions at major airports and highways during the peak travel week.
Thanksgiving 2025: Fog and rain impact morning travel
On Monday, dense fog is forecast across the Midwest, Deep South, and parts of the West, including cities like Louisville, Nashville, Sacramento, St. Louis, and Tampa, the Weather Channel reported.
This fog could slow morning commutes and flights. Meanwhile, a band of rain stretching from Texas through Louisiana up to the upper Mississippi Valley is forecast to bring flooding risks and some severe thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms could particularly disrupt flights at Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston airports.
Major airport hubs face delay risks
Several major airports including Chicago O’Hare, New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle, and Washington DC may face weather-related delays or cancellations as rain and thunderstorms spread to the East Coast through midweek, CBS 12 News reported.
Northern plains and Great Lakes region to also be affected
Winter weather will complicate travel across the Northern Plains and Great Lakes region. Areas in the Dakotas, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and parts of Michigan are expected to see wind-driven snow, which could create slippery roads and hazardous driving conditions around interstates like I-94 and I-29, according to US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan.
Lake-effect snow is forecast to intensify over the Great Lakes, causing whiteout conditions especially in northern Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and upstate New York, potentially affecting highways like Interstate 90 from Cleveland to Buffalo, multiple reports claimed.
Thanksgiving Day outlook
While some improvement is expected on Thanksgiving Day, which will fall on November 28, rain and snow showers could still linger in the Ohio Valley through the Northeast, The Weather Channel reported.
New York City’s Thanksgiving parade may see dry conditions early but faces a chance of afternoon showers or wind, several reports stated.
Travellers have been urged to monitor weather updates closely, allow extra time for travel, and prepare for the likelihood of flight delays and hazardous road conditions during one of the nation’s busiest holiday travel weeks.