Thanksgiving weather forecast: ‘Severe’ thunderstorms likely to impact travel ahead of holiday

With 82 million Americans travelling for Thanksgiving, a storm is likely to disrupt plans, causing delays across the Midwest and Northeast.

Thanksgiving is among the busiest travel holidays in the United States. According to AAA's 2025 holiday forecast, 82 million Americans are planning to take trips either by road or air, USA Today reports. However, their holiday plans could be impacted by bad weather as storms are likely ahead of Thanksgiving Day, which falls on Thursday, November 27.

Here's a detailed weather forecast for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving weather forecast: Travel delays expected in multiple states due to storm

A sprawling storm will roll through the Midwest and into the Northeast on Tuesday, AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. This means that holiday travel will be slower. Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois will be affected by the storm.

Travellers can expect delays due to bad weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and thunder. “So there’s going to be some travel delays across the central part of the United States,” Rayno said. “There could even be some strong to severe thunderstorms.”

Houston-based meteorologist Matt Lanza wrote on his blog The Eyewall that “thunderstorms could impact travel through Atlanta or Florida” by Wednesday. “Winds could impact flights in Chicago and Minneapolis.” However, the storm's intensity will decrease over time. But travellers could still face delays.

AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok warned in an online forecast that “even a few hours of rain can create significant problems on the roads and runways from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, New York City and Boston,” citing increased travel volume ahead of Thanksgiving.

Will there be snow on Thanksgiving Day?

While snowfall is less likely on Thanksgiving Day in most states, temperatures are expected to significantly drop in the Central US and parts of the Northwest and Mississippi Valley regions as early as Tuesday, NWS CPC said, per Newsweek.

“Around Thanksgiving and into the following weekend, cooler temperatures are forecast to expand southward into parts of Texas and the Gulf States, and eastward reaching the East Coast and New England,” CPC added.

By Wednesday, cold air from Canada will meet moist air over the Great Lakes, creating a chance of snow. “It would be the upper Midwest, the northern lakes, where we do get snow next week,” Rayno said, indicating an area across Wisconsin and into northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, per USA Today.