Largest number of US travelers on Thanksgiving

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Americans may need an extra helping of patience this Thanksgiving weekend, with the largest number of travelers in a decade expected to hit the road or board flights to celebrate with family and friends after a prosperous year for many.

The weather could complicate the journey in many parts of the country, as bitter, record-breaking cold blankets much of the Northeast on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, and heavy rain in Northern California threatens to bring mudslides.

Beginning on Tuesday, more than 54 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more for the traditional feast, jamming highways, airports, railroads and waterways, according to the American Automobile Association, the largest US automotive advocacy group. That would rank as the highest travel volume since 2005.

"Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: Higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth," Bill Sutherland, a senior vice president at AAA Travel, said in a statement. "This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway."

Those traveling by air should expect long security lines, while those driving to their Thanksgiving destinations should plan for aggravating traffic tangles, AAA said.

Drivers in San Francisco, New York City and Boston are likely to experience the worst delays, with their journeys expected to take nearly four times as long as normal, said transportation analytics company INRIX.

Weather could disrupt travel in California, where there will be a substantial risk of heavy rain on Thursday, said David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Following the worst wildfire in state history, downpours may trigger mudslides on the scorched slopes north of Sacramento and elsewhere that have been denuded of trees.

Many other parts of the nation, meanwhile, will have a bitterly cold but clear holiday, weather forecasters said.

Boston may endure the coldest Thanksgiving on record, Roth said. A forecast high of 21 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 6.1 Celsius) would break the record of 24 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 4.4 Celsius) set on Thanksgiving Day in 1901.