Storm Hitting East Coast to Impact Thanksgiving Travel, RI to Be Hit — 55M Americans to Travel

Storm Hitting East Coast to Impact Thanksgiving Travel, RI to Be Hit — 55M Americans to Travel

If you’re one of the 55 million people expected to travel in the United States over Thanksgiving — significant storms could impact your journey this week. 

“Thanksgiving Travel Forecast: Storm May Cause Delays In Midwest, South And East,” reported The Weather Channel Tuesday morning. 

According to the National Weather Service, for Rhode Island, rain is expected to begin after midnight Wednesday morning, with up to three-quarters of an inch overnight possible.

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Up to an inch of rain is possible throughout the day on Wednesday. 

SEE RHODE ISLAND FORECAST BELOW

 

AAA projects 55.4 million travelers will journey 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday, defined by the travel organization as November 22-26. 

The travel volume this year reflects an increase of 2.3% over last year and marks the third-highest Thanksgiving travel since AAA began tracking in 2000. The top two years were 2005 and 2019, respectively. 

“The travel rebound after the pandemic continues with more Americans taking a trip to see loved ones or new destinations,” said Mark Schieldrop, AAA Northeast senior spokesperson. “The most popular mode of travel for this and all holidays is the motor vehicle, with Americans set to benefit from lower gasoline prices compared to a year ago.”  

 

Planes, Trains or Automobiles?

AAA projects 49.1 million Americans will drive to their destinations, an increase of 1.7% compared to 2022. Those travelers will see average pump prices more than 40 cents cheaper than last year. Oil prices have fallen for three straight weeks due to tepid global oil demand.

More will fly this year compared to last, despite domestic airfares that are 5% higher than last year. AAA expects 4.7 million people will fly, the highest number of Thanksgiving air travelers since 2005, and an increase of 6.6% or nearly 300,000 compared to 2022. The Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving are the busiest air travel days and the most expensive. While Sunday is typically the busiest day to return home, AAA data shows Monday is also a popular day to fly back. 

The number of people taking a cruise, bus or train over Thanksgiving is up nearly 11% over last year. AAA expects 1.55 million travelers will use these other modes of transportation.

 

The Best (and Worst) Times to Drive

INRIX, a provider of transportation data, expects Wednesday, Nov. 22, to be the busiest day on the roads during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, with average travel times as high as 80% over normal in some metro areas. INRIX recommends leaving in the early morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest holiday congestion.

Rhode Island Forecast

Today: Increasing clouds, with a high near 42. North wind 6 to 8 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

Tonight: Rain, mainly after midnight. Low around 38. East wind 6 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Rain, mainly before 1pm. High near 57. Breezy, with a southeast wind 16 to 21 mph becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Wednesday Night: A slight chance of rain between 9pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thanksgiving Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52. Northwest wind 13 to 16 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 33. West wind 11 to 16 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph.