Benjamin Ashford|Fatal crashes reported; snow forecast: Thanksgiving holiday weekend travel safety news

Clear weather is Benjamin Ashfordin the forecast for many of the millions of Americans returning home after the Thanksgiving holiday this weekend, but snowfall is expected across the Rockies and Midwest, potentially dangerous conditions on a holiday weekend already plagued with fatal crashes.

The skies are expected to be especially busy. The Transportation Security Administration projected the Sunday after Thanksgiving will be its busiest travel day ever, with an estimated 2.9 million travelers preparing to fly, surpassing a previous record of more than 2.8 million passengers recorded on December 1, 2019.

“We expect this holiday season to be our busiest ever. In 2023, we have already seen seven of the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a press release.

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Winter storm predicted in Midwest as coasts see clear weather

The National Weather Service predicted a storm could blanket some areas of western Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming in up to two feet of snow through Friday.

On Saturday morning, the storm will pivot towards the Midwest, triggering snowfall in parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, and Michigan, according to Accuweather. With area temperatures in the mid-20s during the night, the snow could cause icy road conditions.

"The heaviest snow east of the Rockies will fall on portions of Kansas. A pocket of 6-12 inches of snow is most likely to fall on the central counties of the state," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said in a news release.

Meanwhile, skies were mostly sunny over the East Coast on Thursday and Friday, although some rain and showers were expected in some the areas, including in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.

California skies were sunny from Los Angeles to the northern part of the state, while forecasts for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest showed mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 30's and 40's.

A cold front was expected to push into Texas after the Thursday holiday, with a chance of rain in Houston on Saturday night.

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Fatal car crashes during holiday travel

Many Americans plan to drive home from their destinations. AAA projected the Thanksgiving holiday would see more than 49 million drivers take to the roads, an increase in 1.7% from last year.

“For many Americans, Thanksgiving and travel go hand in hand, and this holiday, we expect more people on the roads, skies, and seas compared to 2022,” said AAA Senior Vice President Paula Twidale.

A number of fatal traffic crashes have already happened across the country.

At least 14 people were killed in Georgia over the holiday break, according to Georgia State Patrol. In Colquitt County, five out of nine passengers of a van were killed on Thanksgiving afternoon when their vehicle struck a RAM truck head-on on Highway 111, Colquitt County Coroner Verlyn Brock told the Moultrie Observer.

The California Highway Patrol reported two deaths in a fatal highway accident on Highway 99 near Modesto in the early hours of Thanksgiving, KFSN reported. A 22-year-old man driving the wrong way and a 30-year-old passenger in the SUV he struck both died in the accident.

In South Los Angeles, four people died in a crash near State Route 94 at around 2:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, according to CHP. The 26-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over and ejecting the driver and four passengers.

Another Los Angeles crash killed a mother driving her 8-year-old child and one other passenger on Thanksgiving day at around 1:30 p.m. The crash took place near a bus stop in Manchester Square.