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thanksgiving

This Could Be the Worst Thanksgiving for Travel in Years

By
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
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By
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 25, 2019, 11:23 AM ET

Being home for Thanksgiving is wonderful. Getting there, though, is rarely fun. And this year, it could be nightmarish.

Two massive storm systems are forecast to hover over the east and west coasts, bring rain, wind and snow. That could result in significant delays and flight cancellations. And it could make already congested roads even worse, which could make you late for dinner.

This all comes as over 55 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday, the second highest travel volume since 2000.

While Monday will see minimal delays, things start to clog up some on Tuesday as a low-pressure system over the Midwest could slow some flights down. At the same time a second system will move onto the West coast that evening.

By Wednesday, both coasts will see storms intensify, with some snow in the Sierra Nevada region of California. Thursday will see rain and snow in California, the Rockies and the Plains, while winds in the Northeast could hamper travel (and might force the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to abandon the balloons this year).

Travelling for #Thanksgiving? This colorful map could be trouble. A duo of winter storms is likely to impact travel across the nation this holiday week. Stay #WeatherReady and check the forecast before you go at https://t.co/7995b2xaYG pic.twitter.com/5cL4SURJvk

— National Weather Service (@NWS) November 25, 2019

One of the worst pre Thanksgiving forecasts in a long time. Major travel impacts from 2 large storms. This map is for Tues night and that West Coast storm is strong enough for damage too. pic.twitter.com/yVitqQ5eyC

— Bill Karins 💧 (@BillKarins) November 24, 2019

Making matters even worse? The West Coast storm will make its way across the country through Saturday, which could mess things up as people try to get home.

Fortune‘s curated holiday gift guides:

—Give these world-class experiences as gifts this holiday season
—Tiny tech gadgets great for stocking stuffers
—Travel must-haves to give your favorite globe-trotters
—The best books to gift people you know well—and people you don’t
—Must-have luxury items for everyone in your life
Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortune’s CEO Daily newsletter.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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