Thanksgiving in the United States could be ruined by dire weather

Heavy snow and rain in the Northeast and Midwest next week is expected to ruin Thanksgiving travel for nearly 50 million Americans. Dailymail.

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Forecasters are monitoring the weather that could ruin plans for travelers trying to reach their Thanksgiving destinations next week.

They speculate that a storm will form in the central plains on November 28, contributing to snowfall in parts of Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan.

The storm could lead to "heavy snow drifts" from northern Indiana and Michigan to Maryland next Monday through Wednesday.

On November 22 and 23, inclement weather can cause heavy rainfall along the east coast, which can lead to flooding and disrupted traffic.

More than 53 million Americans are expected to travel over the extended weekend.

A winter storm will hit the central and eastern US next week, wreaking havoc on roads and travelers as more than 53 million Americans return home for Thanksgiving - after Covid forced many to miss the holidays last year.

The National Weather Service's Forecast Center warned the storm could be "potentially significant."

It is predicted to remain in the central plains on November 28 and move northeast to Canada, with heavy snowfall in parts of Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan.

Meteorologists said the storm could lead to "heavy snow drifts" from northern Indiana and Michigan to Maryland from November 22 to 23.

"We could be in for a huge mess and a real disruption to getting around during the holidays," said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist John Porter.

The storm could also cause heavy rainfall along the east coast on Nov.22 and 23, AccuWeather said, which could lead to flooding and disrupted traffic.

Some 53,4 million travelers are expected to travel through Thanksgiving this year, according to the American Automobile Association.

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This figure is about 5% less than the number of people who traveled during Thanksgiving weekend in 2019.

However, due to recent errors in the operation of Southwest and American Airlines, as well as problems with TSA personnel and a sharp increase in airfare, many airline passengers will fear that the situation could become chaotic.

The AAA advised the 4,2 million Americans expected to fly this year to visit loved ones, prepare for long queues and set aside additional time for TSA inspections, agreed by Transportation Security Administration administrator David Pekoske.

On Wednesday, Pekoske told NBC's Today Show that Thanksgiving is the busiest time of year for the TSA, and to ensure everything goes smoothly for travelers, they need to give themselves extra time and be patient.

“My best advice to travelers is to take a little extra time and be patient when you get here,” he said. “I mean, everyone wants to travel, everyone wants to have a good experience, and I think patience will be the key to that.”

As the deadline for full vaccination of federal workers draws near, Pekoske said that while only 60% of TSA's workforce was vaccinated last month, the number of people vaccinated has increased significantly since then, and they will be ready to cope with the busy vacation season.

“We will have enough staff to handle this surge,” he said.

Another concern for travelers taking to the skies is the increase in violent incidents.

The FAA says it has sent 37 cases involving unruly airline passengers to the FBI for possible prosecution since disruptions on flights began to skyrocket in January.

Pekoske is "very concerned" about the problem of unruly passengers as aircraft incidents continue.

“The level of unruly behavior is much higher than I have ever seen,” he said.

While millions of people will take to the air to see their loved ones, approximately 48,3 million Americans are expected to reach their destination by car this year and 4,2 million to travel by plane.

The rest will go by bus, train or water transport.

Forecasters said it is also possible that the slower storm could trigger an additional storm along the mid-Atlantic coast on November 22, moving northeast on 23 November.

Heavy rains and flooding could pose problems for residents of the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic regions, as the storm travels to upstate New York and New England on Monday and Tuesday, according to an AccuWeather expert.

"This storm could bring a lot of rain to the Interstate 95 corridor," said lead meteorologist Paul Pastelok.

Winter weather is already starting to show in some parts of the country.

Snow began to fall when President Joe Biden gave a November 16 speech on infrastructure at Woodstock.

While next week's weather forecasts may worry some travelers, some experts say it's too early to panic.

"We'll be watching this closely, but at this point it's very difficult to have any confidence in the forecast for early next week," said National Weather Service meteorologist Jonathan O'Brien.

Airlines are already grappling with staff shortages that reportedly led to the cancellation of thousands of flights earlier this year.

American Airlines, for example, said on Oct.30 that it had canceled more than 1200 flights in a single weekend due to staff shortages and inclement weather.

And Southwest Airlines Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven told employees last month that a "talent cushion" is needed to prevent schedule cuts in the winter.

Bad weather has always been the most inconvenient time for travelers.

In 2019, more than 600 flights were canceled, and about 5000 more were delayed by Thanksgiving morning after the US was paralyzed by a cyclone bomb.

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