Snowy weather to hit parts of Michigan as Thanksgiving travel rush begins

• Roads, airports and train stations will be busy leading up to Thanksgiving Day
• More than 2.5 million Michigan residents are expected to travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving, an all-time high for the holiday 
• Rain and snow are expected in parts of the state through the holiday

The Thanksgiving menu may include a serving of rain and snow — not to mention crowded roads and airports — for many travelers in Michigan. 

Here’s a look at what to expect: 

Weather

The highest probability of precipitation is in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula where snow showers are expected. Drier conditions are expected in southeast and central Michigan on Wednesday and Thursday. 

• Detroit/Pontiac region: Cloudy conditions will be present through Thanksgiving Day. High temperatures will hover near 40 degrees Tuesday and Wednesday, with lows in the upper 20s and a chance of rain and snow late Wednesday. Thursday will be partly sunny with a high of about 38 degrees.  
• Gaylord region: Rain and snow showers were likely starting Monday and continuing through Thursday. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation Tuesday and a 40% chance of snow showers on Wednesday. On Thanksgiving Day, snow is likely after 1 p.m. — there’s a 70% chance again — with a high near 35 degrees. 
• Marquette region: Up to 3 inches of snow were possible in the region on Monday and more snow showers on the way Tuesday. There’s a 40% chance of snow showers on Wednesday.  Expect daytime highs in the low 30s Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thanksgiving Day, there’s a 50% chance of snow showers with a high of around 29 degrees.
• Grand Rapids region: After a rainy Monday, the forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies on Tuesday, with a steady temperature of about 32 degrees. The high will hit 41 on Wednesday, but there’s a chance of snow mixed with rain. On Thanksgiving Day there is a 30% chance of snow after 1 p.m. and temperatures will reach a high near 37 degrees. 
• Northern Indiana region: Travelers can expect sunny daytime weather Tuesday, with a high near 39, and a 20% chance of overnight snow showers. Rain and snow showers may also hit the region on Wednesday and Thursday. Expect a high near 42 on Wednesday and 38 on Thanksgiving Day.

Automobiles 

Thanksgiving is one of the most traveled holidays of the year. Michiganders are expected to break travel records this holiday, so expect some delays on the road and at the airport. 

Related: A record number of Michigan residents expected to travel for Thanksgiving 

Expect busy roads over the next few days as over 2.5 million Michigan residents are expected to travel at least 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving, 65,000 more than last year, according to AAA. 

Thanksgiving Day is the best time to travel, when interstates and highways are typically clear, according to transportation data company INRIX.

The worst times to travel by car over Thanksgiving are Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.

Planes

Michiganders are also expected to set a new air travel record for Thanksgiving. Air travel has increased by 4% in Michigan since last year and 12% since 2019, according to AAA.

Thanksgiving travelers should check with their airlines for any flight delays as bad weather is expected in several parts of the country. 

FlightAware.com also offers a map that tracks flights and travel delays. 

Trains 

Train stations will also be busy over the next few days and Amtrak is expected to surpass the 22,602 Michigan customers it had during last year’s Thanksgiving travel period.

“We have every reason to believe that we're going to beat last year's numbers,” said spokesperson Marc Magliari. He said the rail system expects to set a nationwide ridership record for the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, topping a pre-pandemic record of 32.5 million riders in 2019.   

Trains going out of Detroit to Chicago on Wednesday were pretty much booked as of Monday afternoon, Magliari said. There are a few seats on the last train that leaves Detroit Wednesday evening. However, travelers may have to come back on Monday instead of Sunday because there are no open seats available on trains coming back to Detroit from Chicago. 

Similarly, there are just a few open seats available for trains leaving Grand Rapids and East Lansing toward Chicago on Wednesday but trains coming back to Michigan from Chicago are sold out.