WASHINGTON – It’s that time of year when millions of Americans across the U.S. begin to prepare their travel plans ahead of Thanksgiving, and experts predict a record number of people hitting the roads and packing airports this year.Traveling can be stressful, and you’ll no doubt hear the phrase “pack your patience” a few times before you sit down with family and friends to celebrate the holiday.Your fellow travelers are not the only ones who may add to the anxiety of getting from point A to point B safely – extreme weather can have a major impact on your timely arrival at your destination.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHERAccording to the AAA, nearly 80 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, which runs from Nov. 26 through Dec. 2.”Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, in a news release. “Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that.”A record 71.7 million people are expected to get to their Thanksgiving destinations by car, which is an increase of 1.3 million people compared to 2023. That number is also higher than pre-pandemic numbers when 70.6 million drove in 2019.DOWNLOAD THE FREE FOX WEATHER APPAir travel is also expected to break records in 2024, with AAA estimating 5.84 million people catching flights at airports across the country.Whether you’re filling up your gas tank and driving or getting to the airport early to ensure there’s enough time to get through security, no amount of preparation can keep Mother Nature in check to avoid the dreaded travel delays or, even worse, cancellations.It’s still too early to know what type of weather could impact Thanksgiving travel next week. However, if you were planning on trying to beat the traffic on the roads or avoid crowds at the airport by traveling this week, you’ll want to know about a series of powerful storms sweeping across the U.S. that could significantly impact when you arrive.FLYING FOR THANKSGIVING? HERE ARE TRAVEL TIPS FROM AN AIRLINE PILOTThe storms sweeping across the U.S. have the potential to pack a punch with snow, rain and strong winds expected to lead to treacherous travel just as millions of people finalize Thanksgiving travel plans.One of the storm systems is well underway and bringing widespread rain and some snow to portions of the northern tier of the country and Upper Midwest after first triggering rounds of severe weather in the central and southern Plains on Monday.DO NEW FEDERAL REFUND RULES FOR AIRLINES COVER WEATHER DELAYS?After the storm impacting the Midwest begins to wind down during the middle of the week, a second storm will rapidly strengthen and impact millions of people in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.A majority of the region, especially in major cities along the Interstate 95 corridor from Philadelphia through New York City, New Haven, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, will likely see only rain.DRIVING ON THE ICE AND DRIVING IN THE SNOW: WEATHER DRIVING TIPS FOR DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHEROut West, a powerful bomb cyclone associated with a major atmospheric river is expected to soak the region from California to Washington this week, and that could lead to flooding and blizzard conditions.The storm also has the potential to break records. According to the National Weather Service office in Seattle, the lowest pressure recorded off Washington was on Oct. 24, 2021, at 942 millibars (27.81 inches). Computer model forecasts indicate the storm will approach this pressure level Tuesday evening, according to the FOX Forecast Center.