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55 Million Thanksgiving Travelers Expected This Week

Experts say the day before Thanksgiving is the worst time to take a trip to Grandma’s house – or anywhere else, for that matter.

According to the American Automobile Association’s annual Thanksgiving travel forecast, more than 55 million people will travel across the country this week, and Wednesday is projected to be see the most traffic.

AAA says this season will see the most people traveling for Thanksgiving since 2005, spurred on by low gas prices and a strong economy.

Air travel will increase, too, with around 4.5 million Americans predicted to fly to their destinations. AAA says the best days to fly this week are Monday and Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.

The National Weather Service predicts two winter storms will blow across the country this week, but it predicts they won’t reach central Indiana until the weekend.

Emma Atkinson is a reporter for WTIU and WFIU News and the anchor of regional newscasts for All Things Considered. She's originally from Champaign, Ill. and graduated from IU with a Bachelor's degree in journalism in 2019. Emma has previously worked as a reporter in Kampala, Uganda and Ketchikan, Alaska.