Bad news for the 43 million travelers who are hitting the road this Thanksgiving: There is a large storm making its way across Texas and other parts of the south. The storm is poised to dump heavy rain and snow onto the East Coast on Tuesday and Wednesday, just in time to disrupt Thanksgiving flights.

American Airlines has already canceled 950 flights on Sunday and Monday out of the Dallas/Ft. Worth hub. And there is a high risk for delays out of Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York in addition to cancellations in Buffalo and father north.

Even in good weather, the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving are difficult travel days. To keep your travel on track this year amid the Thanksgiving storm, understand the right steps to take:

• Don’t ask about on-time departure, instead see if the plane (ask about the tail number) is on-time in its route.
• Following and reaching out to your airline on Facebook or Twitter can also you keep informed.
• But don’t just rely on the airline, check apps like Flight Tracker to anticipate potential problems.
• If you suspect your flight will be impacted, call the airline and act now about rescheduling your flight; often cancellation and penalty fees will be waved.

Watch Peter’s latest CBS This Morning report to see how you can escape the chaos of the Thanksgiving storm 2013 and fly home in time for turkey.

Don’t miss these 5 Tips to Reschedule Flights During any Weather Delay.