Thanksgiving 2025: Bad weather and storms likely to trigger delays as nearly 82 million people are expected to travel this holiday; check weather forecast

Thanksgiving 2025: The fourth Thursday of November is around the corner, and America is all set to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. In 2025, Thanksgiving will fall on November 27, 2025. The holiday brings an opportunity for several families across the US to gather together, and there are also Thanksgiving parades, large and small, to mark the occasion.

Besides getting together, many people use Thanksgiving as a day to reflect on the positive things in life. With Thanksgiving approaching, millions of Americans will be traveling, and it is often considered the busiest travel holiday.

Multiple forecasters have claimed that travel during the holiday can be hit by a storm. "A storm will impact much of the eastern two-thirds of the United States during the busiest travel times ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday as millions hit the highways and head for the airports," said AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, as quoted by USA Today.


According to AAA's 2025 holiday forecast, as many as 82 million Americans will be traveling via road or air. USA Today reported that the storm will primarily be a rainmaker, though some snow is possible along its northern edges.

Thanksgiving 2025: Travel delays expected

According to AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno, travel delays are likely on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, and Wednesday, November 26, 2025, as the storm rolls through the Midwest and into the Northeast, USA Today reported.

The forecast suggests that the storm will likely come out of Texas and into the Midwest from Tuesday into Wednesday, covering an area from northeast Texas through Arkansas, eastern Missouri, and the southern half of Illinois. “So there's going to be some travel delays across the central part of the United States," he said. "There could even be some strong to severe thunderstorms," he added.

By Wednesday, Nov. 26, "it seems plausible that thunderstorms could impact travel through Atlanta or Florida," said Houston-based meteorologist Matt Lanza on his blog, "The Eyewall." "Winds could impact flights in Chicago and Minneapolis," he said.

By Wednesday, November 26, "the storm will be losing some of its intensity and moisture as it travels from the central states to the Northeast, but given the travel volume, 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," said AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok in an online forecast, according to USA Today.

Thanksgiving: Best and worst for air and road travel

As far as air travel is concerned, AAA predicted that six million people will fly within America over Thanksgiving. The number of flyers is up by 2% compared to 2024. The busiest air travel day is expected to be Sunday, November 30, 2025, ABC News reported, citing data from aviation analytics company Cirium, with 3,280,652 domestic seats.

On the other hand, AAA predicted that at least 73 million people, nearly 90% of Thanksgiving travelers, will go by car to their destination. It also revealed that renting a car this holiday will be 15% cheaper than last year, according to AAA. The busiest days on the roads are expected to be Tuesday, Nov. 25; Wednesday, Nov. 26; and Sunday, Nov. 30, according to AAA.