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Flash flooding in Alabama and lake-effect snow are some of the trials facing millions of Americans on the move this week
Julia Mustoin New YorkTuesday 25 November 2025 15:38 GMTComments
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The week of Thanksgiving got off to a rocky start as stormy weather snarled travel, with more than 5,000 flights delayed or canceled across the country between Monday and Tuesday.
Around 82 million people are expected to be on the move, with the worst travel days expected on Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday and Monday.
This holiday travel period is expected to be the busiest in nearly 15 years, the Federal Aviation Administration warned, with more than 360,000 flights booked this week. Some 52,000 of those flights are expected to be on Tuesday, the agency said.
At least 73 million – or nearly 90 percent of Thanksgiving travelers – are expected to make journeys by road, according to AAA.
“That number could end up being higher if some air travelers decide to drive instead of fly following recent flight cancellations,” the non-profit cautioned.
open image in galleryTravelers arrive for flights at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, on November 25, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)Across the U.S., weather is already impacting the holiday travel season, with massive thunderstorms hitting the South, and snow covering roadways in the Intermountain West and Midwest.
The South
Many travelers in the South, the Rockies, the Plains and the Midwest were already feeling the effects of flooding rain, gusting winds and heavy snow on Monday, with the majority of delays and cancellations reported in Dallas, Texas, as thunderstorms hit the state and neighboring Oklahoma and Arkansas.
In the Southern part of the Lone Star State, a tornado ripped across neighborhoods in Houston, leaving a trail of damaged homes and fallen trees.
Record-high travel is expected across Texas, with some 5.8 million people traveling 50 miles or more away from their home this holiday, according to AAA Texas.
open image in galleryA house is seen with its roof torn off in northern Harris County, Texas, on Monday (Harris County Constable Mark Herman’s Office/Facebook)By early Tuesday, the system had shifted, but a tornado watch was still in effect for neighboring Louisiana and nearby Mississippi.
“Isolated severe storms are possible across parts of the Southeast/Deep South this morning into the early evening hours. A couple of tornadoes are possible in parts of eastern Mississippi and central Alabama,” the National Weather Service said.
Flash flood warnings were issued around Huntsville and in other parts of Alabama — but the flooding was already happening in the area of Buck’s Pocket State Park, according to AL.com.
“There is a low chance for strong to severe storms on Tuesday between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” The National Weather Service’s Huntsville Office wrote in a post on social media. “The main hazards are damaging winds, large hail, and a very low chance of a tornado or two. Locally heavy rainfall is also forecast with the heaviest occurring overnight tonight.”
More than 42,000 Alabamians were left without power, according to tracker PowerOutage.US.
open image in galleryTravelers wait to check in at William P. Hobby Airport on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, in Houston, Texas. There were reports of tornado damage in the city in the afternoon (AP)The Midwest and Great Lakes
Forecasters in Minnesota said that a weather system had the potential to dump up to nine inches of snow from Tuesday through Wednesday.
“In life, it's said, timing is everything. And with an army of Minnesotans hitting the road for the Thanksgiving holiday, the approach of a fairly significant winter storm system is poor timing indeed,” KARE 11 said.
Officials at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport urged travelers to arrive earlier than normal due to the expected crowds, according to KSTP.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission expects to screen 441,000 people through security checkpoints between Thursday and December 1, according to CBS News, with the busiest days between Wednesday and Sunday.
open image in galleryA National Weather Service map shows weather conditions across the U.S. on Tuesday (@NWS/X)Meanwhile, a low-pressure system is expected to track northeastward into the lower Great Lakes by Tuesday night. Lower Michigan is set to see lake effect snow on Thanksgiving, with up to a foot or more blowing between Tuesday and Thursday morning.
Winter storm watches are in effect, and winds may gust up to 45 miles per hour, making travel dangerous.
“Travel could be very difficult to impossible,” the National Weather Service said in the storm watch alert. “Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches. Snowfall may start accumulating as soon as early Tuesday afternoon.”
As much as six inches of snow could fall in North Dakota. “If you’re planning on traveling Tuesday, be prepared for snow-covered roads and rapidly changing visibility due to falling and blowing snow,” Bismarck forecasters said.
And in Chicago, forecasters advised travelers about blowing snow and strong wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour.
More than 50 flights were already delayed in the city, according to the tracker FlightAware.
“Wind-whipped snow showers and flurries will accompany the winds, resulting in brief poor visibility,” the National Weather Service’s Chicago Office wrote.
open image in galleryA United Airlines agent assists a traveler at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)The East
Areas from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic could see rain on Tuesday, with precipitation moving over New England by Wednesday morning.
Some scattered thunderstorms are also anticipated up and down the East Coast, with the arrival of a cold front.
“The cold front will bring periods of rain and gusty winds to the Northeast, which could cause some delays at major airport hubs in Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C. and New York City while some rain will linger across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic,” FOX Weather said.
AccuWeather forecasters said winds in New York City could reach up to 30 miles per hour, potentially affecting the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s main attraction: massive balloons that can span up to 100 feet tall. The balloons don’t fly with sustained winds up to 23 miles per hour and gusts up to 35.
In the Southeast, it won’t be iguana-falling cold, but low temperatures in Florida will approach freezing late Thursday and into the weekend, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Florida and Georgia will also see some rainy weather and the National Weather Service in Atlanta sounded the alarm about a potential tornado hazard on Tuesday.
FlightAware showed more than 240 flight delays at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
open image in galleryParade participants are seen with the SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary Balloon during the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28, 2024 in New York City (Getty Images)The West
Snow was winding down over Colorado, Wyoming and Montana between Tuesday and Wednesday, with winter weather advisories issued across all three states.
Montana, and cameras in Missoula and Pubelo, Colorado, showed roads buried in heavy snow.
Farther west, an atmospheric river is anticipated to drench the Pacific Northwest, possibly leading to flooding in Washington state and Oregon.
"The first round of heavy rain looks to target western Washington and northwestern Oregon starting late Tuesday and Tuesday night," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
As much as two inches of snow could fall across areas from Portland to Seattle, the forecasting site predicted, with other areas seeing as many as four inches.
"The heavy rain from the atmospheric river will likely slow travel on Interstate 5 leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday," said Pydynowski.
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