Thanksgiving Storm Forecast: Path, Track as Travel in 20 States Impacted

A significant portion of the Central and Eastern U.S. is expected to face impacts from a major storm heading into Thanksgiving weekend.

Upwards of 55 million Americans are expected to take to the roads and airports this week , according to AAA. More than 49 million are expected to be driving, while the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is bracing for what could be a record-breaking number of air travelers.

But travelers are now being warned of a major storm bringing rain, snow and potentially some ice that could cause treacherous road conditions and flight disruptions to a considerable chunk of the Midwest and East Coast regions.

A map shared by AccuWeather showed potentially "poor" conditions stretching from the Florida panhandle to Michigan on Tuesday, with minor impact stretching from like Wisconsin and Illinois eastward toward New York, New Jersey and most of the East Coast.

Heavy Thanksgiving week traffic in Washington, D.C. A major storm is expected to pose travel risks this week to a broad swath of the Midwest and East Coast regions.

Anna Moneymaker/

According to AccuWeather, most "negative impacts" will be felt in the Midwest through Tuesday, and parts of the Northeast through Tuesday night, with some weather issues potentially stretching into Wednesday.

"As the storm continues to move along, so will the rain," AccuWeather's report said. "The bulk of the disruptive downpours are likely to affect the Pittsburgh and Atlanta metro areas on Tuesday. Locally severe thunderstorms may add to weather-related delays around Atlanta."

Continuing into the Northeast, the storm is expected to pick up strength, with winds "averaging 25-35 mph with gusts of [up to] 40-45 mph." The conditions could potentially pose issues for travelers looking to catch flights out of major airports in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, with heavy rain and whipping wind likely to prompt cancellations or delays.

The wind may also pose power outages in parts of Northeastern Ohio and Western New York. Parts of upstate New York and New England could face some snowfall as the rain moves into their colder areas.

Generally, though, experts expect conditions to level out and calm down throughout Wednesday, with Thanksgiving Day expected to be relatively dry. The last rain from the storm is forecast to move out of Boston and surrounding areas by Wednesday afternoon.