- Major traffic jams are forming and video footage shows huge queues at airports
- AAA projects 55.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their homes
- The National Weather Service is predicting heavy rain and snow storms on Wednesday
Thanksgiving travel is underway and record numbers of Americans are taking planes, trains and cars to reach their holiday destinations, creating travel chaos across the country.
Video shows major traffic jams already forming on the road Tuesday evening as commuters sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles.
AAA projects 55.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their home during the holidays. They estimate that 49.13 million of them will travel by car and 4.69 million will fly.
As of Wednesday morning, 626 flights within, to or from the United States have been delayed and 45 have been canceled, according to FlightAware.
In the nation’s capital, video shows huge lines forming at Reagan National Airport early Wednesday morning.
There was a major traffic jam on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening
On Wednesday morning, huge lines formed at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC
The National Weather Service is forecasting major rain and snow storms across the country on Wednesday that could disrupt travel.
Widespread rain is forecast along the East Coast and parts of northern New England, especially Maine, are expected to see snow.
The northern and central Rockies are predicted to have a white Thanksgiving this year due to a blast of Arctic air.
Photos from John F. Kennedy International Airport Wednesday morning show crowds of people flocking to the airport to fly to their Turkey day destinations.
The busiest days for flying are Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday.
Sunday will see the biggest crowds with an estimated 2.9 million passengers, which would narrowly surpass the record set on June 30.
People line up at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York the Wednesday before Thanksgiving
The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday
AAA projects 4.69 million Americans will fly on Thanksgiving
The positive for both plane and car travelers is that prices are falling. According to the travel site Hopper, airline tickets cost an average of $268 per ticket, 14 percent less than a year ago.
Gasoline prices are down about 45 cents per gallon from this time last year. The national average was $3.30 per gallon on Monday, compared to $3.67 a year ago, according to AAA.
A survey of GasBuddy users found that despite lower pump prices, the number of people planning to take a long drive this Thanksgiving hasn’t changed much from last year.