Thanksgiving week weather: Storms threaten to worsen holiday travel chaos

Forecasters are now warning that the usual travel rush could be exacerbated by various weather events

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, with more than 55 million Americans set to travel by road and by sky over the holiday week.

Forecasters are now warning that the usual travel rush could be exacerbated by various weather events across the nation.

In the South, rain and thunderstorms are predicted from Sunday through Tuesday, according to AccuWeather.

The storms are forecasted to begin in Oklahoma before sweeping to the eastern seaboard by early next week - posing a threat to major roadways across the region and to the air travel hub of Atlanta.

In the Northeast, stormy conditions and potential flooding could derail travel from Washington DC to New York to Boston on Tuesday and Wednesday.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist David Dombek said the impact could be worsened by the fact that many cities in the area have had a very dry November so far.

“In one fell swoop, a lot of places will be bumped out of the top 10 list for the driest Novembers on record next week with a major storm that will bring a soaking rain to the region,” Mr Dombek said.

Further north in upstate New York, Vermont and Maine, a winter storm could bring high winds and tumultuous flight conditions - followed by potential heavy snow later in the week from cold air moving across the Great Lakes.

Meteorologists have warned travellers to keep up to date on emerging weather conditions across the week.

This year’s travel rush was already predicted to be more intense than prior years, with AAA predicting a 2.3 per cent increase in Americans travelling more than 50 miles for Thanksgiving - for a total of 55.4 million.