Analysts predict record-breaking travelers this Thanksgiving. Nearly 80 million people will travel 50 miles or more between the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after, according to AAA. Most of them will travel on the roads.
Fleet owners and drivers should remain alert throughout the long holiday weekend, as this increase in travelers will heavily impact the typical flow of traffic.
Another factor carriers, dispatchers, and drivers should keep an eye on is the weather. The Weather Channel doesn’t predict major storm events to take place this holiday week, but there are a few areas where snowfall could impact travel.
Keep reading for FleetOwner’s Thanksgiving week traffic and weather report.
See also: How Butterball manages Thanksgiving logistics
Thanksgiving traffic report
Professional drivers can expect to share the highways with millions of motorists over the course of the week. Of those 80 million travelers, AAA expects 71.1 million to travel by car. That’s 1.3 million more people on the roads this week than compared to last year’s Thanksgiving holiday.
Thanksgiving travelers will impact certain areas more than others.
Large metropolitan areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Washington can expect traffic to be “more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst, told AAA.
Car rental company Hertz indicated that Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, and Oahu are the cities withthe highest rental car demand; fleets operating in those cities should encourage drivers to be aware of drivers unfamiliar with the roads.
The AP reports that while the traditional travel days surrounding Thanksgiving are typically the Wednesday before and the Sunday after, some motorists try to beat the rush by traveling on the Tuesday before and the Monday after.
Having a vast amount of travelers traversing the roads throughout the week will likely cause problems not only on the day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after but throughout the remainder of the week and into the next.
“Because we warned for so long (that) Wednesday and Sunday are the worst days to travel, people were like, ‘OK, I’m going to leave on Tuesday and come back on Monday to avoid the rush,’” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz told the Associated Press. “So now those two days are congested as well.”
Fleets with vehicles and drivers working from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and into the following Tuesday should be alert and expect delays.
Further, drivers should understand that Wednesday afternoon will be the worst time to travel on the roads, as Thanksgiving travelers drive the final miles to their destination; however, freeways should be much easier to travel come Thanksgiving Day, according to transportation analytics company INRIX.
Thanksgiving weather report
Freezing temperatures, snow, and rain are expected in the forecast for the week, according to The Weather Channel. These weather systems could lead to headaches while traveling. Here is a look at the weather for the holiday week:
Wednesday
While it is one of the busiest travel days of the year, the weather should prove more cooperative, with just a few events of note.
Drivers traveling through certain areas of the Rockies can expect 4 to 12 inches of snowfall. The National Weather Service has already issued winter weather warnings and advisories to certain areas of Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming.
The mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, and mid-South regions could see some light rain and, possibly, a few thunderstorms. Further north in the southern Great Lakes region, light snowfall is possible beginning Wednesday evening.
Thursday
While Thanksgiving Thursday is typically a much calmer day on the highways, one storm system will begin to take shape. In the Great Lakes region, folks can expect lake-effect snow that will stick around for the remainder of the week.
Snow is also expected to accumulate at high elevations in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, upstate New York, and New England, while the Southeast could experience morning showers and possible thunderstorms.
Friday
Fleet drivers should be aware of other motorists out and about traveling from store to store on Black Friday. They should also be aware of potential weather impacts.
Lake-effect snow bands could impact travel from upper Michigan to upstate New York, particularly along Interstate 90 and I-81, while the Midwest should expect brisk winds, and Central Florida could see showers and possible thunderstorms ahead of a cold front. Otherwise, the weather across the nation should be relatively calm.
Saturday
The Weather Channel expects the lake-effect snow in the Great Lakes and Northeast regions to continue Saturday, and heavily, with possible “significant travel problems.” Snow is also expected in the Central Plains and mid-Mississippi valley throughout Kansas, Missouri, and the southern part of Illinois, which could lead to slippery situations, The Weather Channel warns.
Sunday
As another one of the busiest days to travel on highways, Sunday’s weather systems could also pose problems for professional drivers, depending on their location.
The Great Lakes and Northeast lake-effect snow is expected to continue Sunday, and The Weather Channel warns of “major” travel problems in these areas due to accumulation from snowfall on the days prior.
See also: Beyond maintenance: How fleets can prepare for safe winter operations
Traffic is inevitable this holiday week, but avoiding possible weather events, traveling at off-peak times, and adequately preparing for delays and the unexpected can help ensure fleet drivers arrive safely at their destination.
