Nearly 82 million Americans are expected to travel domestically over Thanksgiving, a record high according to AAA, but some will have a harder time than others as a storm sweeps across the country ahead of the holiday.

“There's a little bit of everything for everybody, it seems like, spread out,” Paul Pastelok, senior meteorologist and lead long-range forecaster at Accuweather, told USA TODAY. “Different times where there's going to be problems across the country.”

Here’s what travelers should know before heading out for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving travel forecast

Troubles are expected to begin Monday, Nov. 24, when Pastelok said a storm coming from Southern California could drench Central Texas with heavy rain and possible flooding.

It's expected to shift into the Tennessee and Ohio Valley on Tuesday and possibly pool water and produce fog that could also impact flights.

“That same system gets to the east on Wednesday, so the big cities like New York City, DC,” he said. “It may not be that heavy, but it may be enough to cause poor visibility, which could cause with high volume, a lot more traffic and a lot more backups.”

He said the northern part of the system could also bring snow to the Northern Plains and parts of the Upper Midwest between Tuesday and Wednesday, possibly leading to lower visibility and icy roads.

What should a driver do in bad weather?

“If the weather is going to be bad, don't drive. I mean, don't force it,” said AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz. “You're in control. You can decide, 'I'm going to push my departure time by an hour or two. I'm going to maybe leave the previous day.'"

She recommends travelers check the forecast for their entire route before heading out.

“You have to be flexible, especially if you're driving,” she said. “Obviously, if you're flying, you don't have that flexibility.”

Drivers who decide to go ahead in bad weather should proceed with caution.

“People sometimes feel like, ‘Oh, I know how to drive in snow. I know how to drive in ice or I know how to drive in rain,’ and they're going way too fast. And speed is like ... the root cause of so many bad things that happen on the road,” Diaz warned. “Just reduce your speed.”

Road trip tips

She shared several other time-tested road trip tips for any kind of weather.

“Certainly, check your vehicle. When's the last time you checked your tire pressure? When's the last time you checked your battery and topped off your fluids?" she asked. “That’s first.”

She encourages travelers to plan ahead, pack early and be organized. That includes packing an emergency kit with essentials like water, non-perishable snacks, extra blankets, wet wipes, first aid supplies and a flashlight, but also things that would keep everyone in the car comfortable if they got stuck longer than expected, like in a big backup.

“Last Thanksgiving holiday period, AAA responded to about 600,000 emergency roadside assistance calls, and that's just from that seven-day stretch,” Diaz said, noting that some of the issues were preventable, like running out of gas. “Fill up the tank the night before so you don't have to worry about going to the gas station in the morning, and give yourself a good night's rest.”

During the drive itself, she recommends switching drivers every couple of hours if possible. If that’s not possible, at least take breaks every two hours to stay refreshed.

What if your flight is canceled or delayed?

Travelers whose flights are canceled for any reason are entitled to a full refund if they choose to no longer fly, regardless of ticket type. If they choose to continue their trip, they’re entitled to penalty-free rebooking.

If a cancellation is within the carrier’s control, customers may be entitled to additional compensation like meal vouchers or a hotel stay, depending on the circumstances and airline. However, if the cancellation is outside the airline’s control, they aren’t entitled to anything extra. Weather is outside airline control.

Similarly, if a flight is significantly delayed for reasons within a carrier’s control, travelers may be entitled to compensation, but if it’s outside the airline’s control, like weather, then they aren’t owed anything extra.

Airline-specific details are available on the Department of Transportation’s consumer dashboard.

Thanksgiving travel tips to remember:

  • Remember, TSA ended its shoes-on policy, and travelers can keep theirs on during security screening.
  • All air travelers need a REAL ID for domestic flights and a passport for international ones. The official change happened in May, and now TSA is proposing a rule to charge passengers without it.
  • The TSA also added dedicated family lanes as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Families on the Fly” initiative at select airports, including Orlando and Honolulu.
  • Now, most airlines offer free Wi-Fi to those enrolled in their frequent-flier programs.
  • Nobody is entitled to overhead bin space, so keep that in mind while packing.
  • Be kind to airport and airline workers as they enter their busiest season of the year.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thanksgiving travel could be chaotic as major storm hits US

Reporting by Eve Chen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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