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Thanksgiving travelers bedeviled by bad weather

At airports nationwide, there have been more than 4,000 delays alone and more than 700 cancellations as a massive storm heads up the Northeast
Thanksgiving Nor'easter snarls travel on East Coast 03:27

MINEOLA, N.Y. -- A sloppy mix of rain and snow rolled into the Northeast on Wednesday just as millions of Americans began the big Thanksgiving getaway, grounding hundreds of flights and turning highways hazardous along the congested Washington-to-Boston corridor.

By early evening, more than 700 flights had been canceled, the bulk of them in the Northeast, during what is typically one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Thousands of flight delays were also expected as the snow from the nor'easter piled up.

Some travelers tried to change their plans and catch earlier flights to beat the storm, and major airlines waived their re-booking fees. But most planes were already filled.

Weather forecast: Millions face snow, rain before Thanksgiving 01:04

Numerous traffic accidents were reported across the Northeast, where by midafternoon the line between rain and snow ran roughly along Interstate 95, the chief route between Washington and Boston.

Schools and businesses also closed in some areas, and state government offices let workers go home early.

Pat Green and her husband drove from Saugerties, New York, to the Albany airport for the first leg of their trip to San Francisco. She said the drive on the New York State Thruway was "a little hairy," but they made it, and their flight was on schedule so far.

"It was snowing so hard you couldn't see the car ahead of you," she said. "We slowed down so we were fine. We also give ourselves a lot of extra time."

Major Northeast cities were likely to see moderate to heavy rain most of the day, though New York could see 1 to 4 inches of snow, and its northern suburbs 6 to 8 inches, the National Weather Service said. Higher elevations west of the I-95 corridor could see as much as 6 to 12 inches.

Flights canceled, highways clogged due to winter storm 01:58

Nina Francis was trying to fly home to Arizona from La Guardia Airport, but told CBS News correspondent Vicente Arenas that she was worried the weather won't cooperate.

She said she was concerned she could end up "stranded, someplace across the country, or being stranded here and missing Thanksgiving with the family."

Dan Albert hoped to beat the snow as he, his wife and 15-year-old daughter refueled their SUV Wednesday morning along I-81 in Hagerstown, Maryland, about halfway between their Greensboro, North Carolina, home and their Thanksgiving destination in Mahwah, New Jersey.

"Traffic was fine last night, no problems at all, but today's going to be a real booger," Albert said. But he added: "Got to see the folks. We only get to see them once a year. Got to muscle through it, right?"

At a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike, tired families grabbed large cups of coffee and breakfasts of pizza and fried chicken before heading back to the slushy road.

Abdullah Masud, a lawyer who lives in Kuwait, was heading from Boston to Washington with a cousin.

"We were originally planning on leaving Wednesday morning, but when we heard about the snowstorm we changed our mind and left Tuesday night. But I don't think it made that much of a difference," he said, noting the heavy traffic.

By early afternoon, airlines had canceled more than 10 percent of their flights at Philadelphia, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia airports.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports, said it was lining up extra staff and snow removal equipment in the event of a heavy snowfall. Crews were prepared to work in 12-hour shifts if necessary, officials said.

The wintry weather was not confined to the Northeast. An Alberta clipper left many highways in North and South Dakota slick, and a winter storm warning was issued for parts of Minnesota.

An estimated 41.3 million travelers are expected to hit the nation's highways between Wednesday and Sunday, a 4.3 percent increase over last year, according to AAA.

Here's a snapshot of what it's like out across the nation:

HIT THE ROAD

Families piling into minivans can expect to save a few bucks at the pump with the national average gas price falling to $2.81, the lowest in nearly half a decade and 47 cents cheaper than a year ago. Factoring in average fuel economy, a family driving 300 miles will save $7.62 compared with last year.

Not a bonanza perhaps, but it's helping people like Matt Megargee.

The 23-year-old had a car full of passengers when he pulled over Wednesday to fill up his tank in Atlanta. The Calhoun, Georgia, native said he hoped to make it to Chattanooga, Tennessee, within a few hours to see his 9-year-old goddaughter, who is being treated at the Ronald McDonald House.

One traffic jam aside, the low gas prices made the cost a bit easier, he said, though he laughed about some sticker shock in Atlanta.

"It's tough to plan where you might want to stop and refuel," he said. "This ($2.97) is the highest I've seen the whole trip."

REMOTE REACHES

Larson and Alice Hunter and their two young children were in Anchorage, Alaska, heading home to Scammon Bay, a remote Yup'ik Eskimo community of fewer than 500 people on Alaska's western coast.

Back in Scammon Bay, the family will have two Thanksgiving feasts -- first with Alice's parents, then with Larson's mother. Along with turkey and the usual fixings, they will have akutaq, or Eskimo ice cream, which usually includes berries, sugar and sometimes fish. Larson's mother will also prepare other native food.

"Moose is typical," Larson said.

"If we're lucky, snow goose," Alice said.

GOOD TIME TO GO TO VEGAS

"We figure no one wants to go to Vegas on Thanksgiving," says Alex Tingat, who came from Brisbane, Australia, with her boyfriend, Joel Akins.

They do.

During a layover in Honolulu, the couple said they found deals on accommodations during the holiday.

But while hotels may be cheaper, flights aren't. After landing in Los Angeles, they planned to take a bus to Las Vegas.

Atkins said he was bracing for travel to be more hectic once they got to the mainland U.S.

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