Turkey Day Weather For The Birds?

Family, food and football are American traditions for Thanksgiving. As residents may be heading out of town for festivities this year, they might want to make extra preparations as two storms make their way through the state this week.

According to AAA, more than 46 million Americans will travel for Thanksgiving dinner this year and with the average price of gas dropping below the $3 a gallon mark, it's probably a safe bet that holiday travel will increase this year. AAA stated that this will be the highest travel volume for the holiday since the recession hit in 2007. Around 89 percent of travelers will be hitting the road instead of taking the train or hopping a plane.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory on Monday that was expected to begin late Tuesday evening. The first storm system will drop an estimated 1.5 inches; add that to winds expected around 15-25 mph and it could cause visibility issues on the road. The snow and blowing advisory were to remain in effect from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday..

While it would be nice for the storm systems to move on as everyone hit the road on Wednesday to get to their holiday plans, the second storm is set to arrive early Wednesday morning. This storm will affect Petroleum, Phillips, Valley and Prairie counties. Precipitation expected is between 3 and 6 inches. As the storm lifts Wednesday, the storm may drop a mix of snow and freezing rain.

The storm is expected to clear up by Thursday on Thanksgiving evening. The weather service said early this week that it couldn't predict the impact with full confidence, but travelers should be aware. A winter storm watch is in effect Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon.

Travelers should keep an emergency kit in their vehicle, take extra time to get to their destination and make sure friends and family know the planned travel path. Motorists were urged to buckle up and not drink and drive for the holidays.