Florida Thanksgiving Weather – Will It Be Paradise or Chilly?

It's a super busy time of year for travel. Having good weather can make travel easy and delightful or downright dangerous. Chances are, you're trying to get to see family and friends over the holidays. If that means driving a lot of flying, you're going to want to check the weather report. So, when it comes to the Florida Thanksgiving weather forecast, what should we expect? Will it be like paradise or chilly?

First of all, expect very busy roads and airways. According to AAA, a whopping 55.4 million travelers will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday travel time. That's a significant increase over last year, with 2.3% more people traveling either on the road or in the air. Those projections also make for the the third-highest Thanksgiving forecast since AAA started tracking holiday travel back in 2000. So, it's going to be packed.

According to Weather.com, most of Florida will get light rain Thursday evening, and some areas will get showers on Wednesday. The areas that are projected to get the most rain include the Panhandle, northern and central Florid and the Keys. But, even with this rainy forecast, it's a lot better than the forecast looked just a few days ago. At first, it seemed Florida would be a real washout. But, with a big low-pressure system moving through the eastern U.S., Florida is looking drier. If you're traveling north, though, check conditions, because weather could be a bit wild up there. For example, heavy thunderstorms are expected in Tennessee and the Ohio Valleys.

Temperature-wise, Florida Thanksgiving weather will be great, with Tampa in the low-70s and Fort Myers in the mid-70s. With weather pretty nice over the week, make note that according to AAA, Wednesday is the busiest day to travel on the road this week. So, you might want to avoid a Wednesday trip, if not for weather, because of the busy conditions.

Christmas is a time to visit family and friends and get away from the daily grind. The holidays can be a wonderful time, but they can also be very expensive. From buying lots of Christmas gifts for family and friends to having to pay for plane tickets and travel, holiday expenses can really add up. But, the good news is that there are some affordable holiday vacations, and Florida has one of America's cheapest Christmas vacations.

One good thing about traveling during the winter months is that it's often the off-season for popular vacation destinations. Of course, the holidays are a busy travel time. That makes late December a difficult time to find a deal for travel. But, if you don't mind the cold and snow, some northern areas of the U.S. offer very good deals. That's true even during the Christmas season.

Some tips for finding a good deal for holiday vacationing include searching a lot of booking websites, comparing different hotel dates to find the most reasonable ones and finding bundle deals. Also, keep your eyes open for special deals on resorts and hotels that are just opening. That's because sometimes, during those opening months, new vacation spots try to attract a loyal clientele by offering special deals. One more tip is to search for airfare rates individually even if you are traveling as a couple or a group. If you put in a search for a group of tickets, the algorithms will often leave out information on one or two cheaper tickets being available. They'll just send you a group of tickets, sitting together, all at the same price. So, you might get a deal if you search for one ticket, instead.

So, what are the best affordable Christmas vacations in the U.S.? Here are some popular spots that won't break the bank.

Frankenmuth, Michigan, is the self-proclaimed Christmas capital city of the world. Okay, so many argue that Strasbourg, France, takes that honor, but Frankenmuth is close, and it's a lot cheaper to get there. No passport needed. The villiage's Franconian-style architecture has given it the loving name "Little Bavaria." Frankenmuth is also home to the world's biggest Christmas store.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is located in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and it offers a beautiful view of snowy hills and Amish country. It's a very old-fashioned type of town, making it a charming winter getaway. There are plenty of fun, holiday-type things to do in Lancaster that won't break the bank.

You might never guess, but Las Vegas, Nevada, is a great spot for an affordable holiday trip. Think about it. Most people wouldn't think to go to "Sin City" for Christmas. Of course, it's much less the "sin" part these days, as Las Vegas offers fun activities for the whole family.

Charlotte, North Carolina, is a great spot to visit in the holiday season, because it's not as crowded as other times during the year. It's also less expensive to visit during the holidays and offers beautiful decorations during Christmas. Don't forget the many holiday markets.

Fort Myers, Florida, is a popular destination for snow birds. But, that's doesn't mean to skip it during the holidays. If you want to get away from the snow and ice, Fort Myers offers a great escape over Christmas and for prices that are more reasonable than in many other areas of Florida.

Boston, Massachusetts, gets cold in the winter, but it also has that classic Christmas charm. It's a big city with a smaller city feel during the holidays. What's more, it's a more affordable winter vacation destination than many other areas, and you won't have the fight the crowds.