Labor Day travel: Will extreme weather impact holiday travel in US this weekend?

NEW YORK – The unofficial end to summer is upon us, and millions of people across the U.S. have packed up and are headed out of town for the Labor Day holiday weekend. But travelers beware – severe weather could put the brakes on some end-of-season travel plans.

Data from AAA shows an increase in domestic travel over the Labor Day holiday weekend this year, so if you’re among those hoping to hit the beach, explore the great outdoors at a national park or attend a local event you’ll want to have the free FOX Weather app handy for the most up-to-date forecast information in your location.

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Labor Day weekend weather: Saturday forecast

Many major cities across the U.S. will experience pleasant temperatures this weekend, which is a welcome change after brutal late-summer heat and humidity that helped to fire up powerful thunderstorms Monday in the Midwest. Severe weather was also reported in the Great Lakes region on Tuesday and the northern Plains on Wednesday.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the lower to mid-80s on Saturday in the West, including Seattle and Los Angeles, while cities such as Denver and Atlanta could get into the lower 90s.

Plenty of sunshine is also expected for many in the U.S., but a chance for precipitation could slow travel from Texas and Louisiana through the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, as well as parts of the interior Northeast.

If you’re among the millions hitting the road, you’ll want to keep your speed slow on wet roadways.

And if you’re heading to major airports in those locations, such as Houston and Miami or Atlanta, rain and possible thunderstorms could lead to delayed or canceled flights.

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Labor Day weekend weather: Sunday forecast

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More travel issues could arise from areas of Texas to the Northeast and New England on Sunday, but the FOX Forecast Center doesn’t expect major storm systems to be impacting those regions.

Either way, airports from the Midwest to the Northeast could be impacted by those pop-up showers and thunderstorms, which could lead to more issues.

And remember, if you’re at an airport where the sky is clear and temperatures are warm, extreme weather hundreds of miles away can still impact your travel plans.

“The crazy thing about Atlanta is that the airport is so big, that when they get delays there, it will affect almost the entire country, especially the East Coast,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari said.

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Labor Day Weekend weather: Monday forecast

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And what about the dreaded trip back home to reality? There will be more chances for delays on the roads or in the sky thanks to additional rain and thunderstorms impacting portions of the Southwest, Southeast and mid-Atlantic.

Rain could impact the beaches in Florida, and for those of you in the Northeast maybe heading to a local lake or pond to swim, bring an umbrella just in case a shower or two passes by.

Labor Day weekend air travel statistics

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If you’re opting to fly to your favorite Labor Day holiday destination rather than drive, you’ll want to keep a close eye on the weather at both your departure airport and the weather at the airport you arrive at.

The graphic above shows the current U.S. air travel statistics, including how many commercial flights are en route, as well as the number of delays and cancellations.

It also shows which airports are seeing the biggest impact due to delays as well as cancellations.