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FAA Warns of Record Thanksgiving Air Traffic as Twin Storms Threaten Travel

AAA projects roughly 82 million road travelers with peak congestion Tuesday and Wednesday.

Overview

  • The FAA says more than 360,000 flights are scheduled for the Thanksgiving period, with over 52,000 on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
  • AAA, using INRIX data, identifies the worst road windows as Tuesday 12–9 p.m. and Wednesday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., with heavy return traffic Sunday.
  • A potent atmospheric river is forecast to hit Washington and Oregon with drenching rain, coastal winds and high‑elevation snow, with Monday offering a brief travel lull in the region.
  • A separate storm forming over the southern Plains is expected to spread rain and thunderstorms east, posing delay risks for major hubs including Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, Houston and Minneapolis.
  • Cold air midweek could deliver accumulating snow across parts of the Rockies and High Plains, including Montana, Wyoming, western Nebraska and Colorado, reducing road and air mobility.