Thanksgiving travel stranded as coast-to-coast storm brings rain, snow | Real Time Headlines

With Thanksgiving holiday travel well under way, many have already reached their destinations, but for others, Thursday’s storm from the Rockies to the Midwest and Northeast will bring rain and snow that could impact flights and crowding. road.

On Wednesday, the Transportation Security Administration expected nearly 3 million people to be screened, and the number of people driving during Thanksgiving was expected to reach a record 71.7 million, more than 1 million more than last year.

The storm, which dropped snow over the Rockies Wednesday morning, slowed by the afternoon and was expected to move east Wednesday into the Midwest and Northeast during Thanksgiving.

It will bring rain and the possibility of snow and ice, which will increase overnight from St. Louis to Indianapolis to Pittsburgh.

Overnight, the storm will continue to move eastward, bringing cold rain along I-95 from Richmond to Boston early Thanksgiving morning.

According to statistics, as of Wednesday evening, there were nearly 4,000 delays and 45 cancellations of flights in and out of the United States. flight perception.

American Airlines said it operated nearly 6,400 mainline and regional flights on Tuesday and expected more than 650,000 passengers to travel on nearly 6,400 flights on Wednesday. That’s nearly 4.5 U.S. flights taking off every minute every day.

one ground delay Due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey implemented controls from 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday until 2 a.m. ET on Thursday.

Flights out of Newark experienced more than 300 delays Wednesday, some of which were at least 95 minutes long.

The FAA stated X Flights in Denver and Salt Lake City are expected to be delayed Wednesday afternoon due to ice and snow.

In those cities, airport officials are de-icing planes and getting them ready for takeoff. Denver is leading There were 600 flight delays on Wednesday.

Delays were also common in Boston, Dallas and Las Vegas, with delays reaching triple digits, according to FlightAware.

Heavy fog in Tampa affected departure flights on Wednesday, with Tampa International Airport reporting 37 departure delays, according to FlightAware. The FAA said earlier Wednesday that delays in Seattle and Los Angeles were also an issue and that low ceilings in those areas were expected to have some impact on operations.

For road travelers, I-80, I-64, I-75 were affected by rain on Wednesday, while I-25 and I-70 were affected by snowfall in the Rockies.

On Thanksgiving Day, heavy rain will hit the Interstate 95 corridor from Florida to Maine, and heavy snow will hit the interior Northeast and New England.

Areas north of the Hudson Valley in upstate New York and inland New England are expected to receive 1 to 3 inches of wet snow, with local totals exceeding 6 inches on the highest peaks.

From northeastern Pennsylvania to New Hampshire, snowfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches or more are possible, and windy weather could cause power outages in the area.

The iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Rain or shineHeavy rain is expected in New York, with temperatures around 40 degrees. Wind speeds are expected to be below 10 mph, which will allow the balloons to fly. If maximum sustained winds reach 23 mph or greater, or gusts exceed 34 mph, the parade’s most popular balloons will not be able to fly.

Cold rain is expected in East Coast cities such as Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York, Hartford and Boston, with total rainfall ranging from 0.50 to 1 inch. Road trips will continue smoothly south into Virginia and Maryland, including through the I-95 corridor into Maine.

By Friday morning’s overnight hours, travel will be mostly back to normal as the system exits New England.

However, cold winds in New England and lake effect snow around the Great Lakes will continue into Sunday.

Airport hubs to watch Thursday include Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Pittsburgh and Buffalo.

On Sunday — typically the busiest travel day of Thanksgiving week as people return home from holiday trips — cold will continue to sweep across large swaths of the country, with lake-effect snow also expected around the Great Lakes and Northeast.

Three million people expected to pass through TSA on Sunday, near record 3.01 million was set on the Sunday after the National Day holiday This year.

There may be some issues at airports in Chicago and Detroit on Sunday, but the East and West coasts look favorable for road and air travel.

Meanwhile, much of the Northern Plains and much of the upper Midwest will end the week with freezing temperatures, with temperatures expected to start Thanksgiving 10 to 20 degrees below average.

From Thursday to Sunday, Chicago will see highs in the 30s and 20s with lows in the teens, New York will see highs in the 40s with lows dropping to around 28 degrees, and Washington, D.C. will see Highs in the 50s and 40s, lows in the 30s and 20s. Temperatures will drop into the single digits over the weekend in Minneapolis.

As travelers take to the skies to reunite with loved ones, authorities are warning people who park their cars in airport parking lots to be careful in case their vehicles are stolen.

Atlanta police say more than 300 cars have been stolen from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the nation’s busiest airport, this year, nearly three times the number last year.

“The suspect was able to program the vehicle’s key fob, which brings us to where we are now,” said Maj. Kelly Collier, commander of the Atlanta Airport Division. This year, police added cameras, motorcycles and cameras to 30,000 parking spaces. Patrols and new fencing to curb crime.

More than 50 cars were also stolen from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport this year, in what police say is the work of a car theft ring targeting airports in multiple states. DFW Airport Police Alleged ringleader arrested last month.

A woman named Katie told NBC News that she and her husband went on a business trip and returned to Columbus International Airport to find their car missing.

“It’s completely unbelievable that we parked near the airport and when we came out our car was gone. We just thought it would be safer in this environment,” she said. Police later found it abandoned and completely demolished.

“I wish airports would increase security so we can travel and come back and park your car there,” she added.