A turbulent spell of winter weather continued to dominate projections across the United States on Wednesday, with a mix of rain and snow likely to fall in various regions around the impending Thanksgiving holiday. Storms might disrupt travel plans, particularly in the east, while the Mountain West may feel the effects of a “Arctic blast” overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
A Map Showing the Thanksgiving Weather Forecast for 2024
“A mix of rain and snow are possible across the eastern third of the country on Thanksgiving Day,” said CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan, who noted that forecasting models were “reaching a consensus” on Tuesday and indicated that the I-95 corridor, which runs along the East Coast from Miami to the Canadian border with Maine, would likely receive rain. Interior portions of the Northeast, such as upstate New York, are expected to get snow.
The storm was still expected to sweep into the Northeast Wednesday night and intensify throughout the day Thursday, according to Nolan.
Winter storm watches remained in effect throughout the interior Northeast until Monday. Forecasters said regions of Maine and New Hampshire could experience up to 6 inches of snow between Thursday and Friday, potentially disrupting traffic.
“Persons should postpone any travel wherever possible. If driving is unavoidable, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for rapid changes in visibility,” the National Weather Service office in Gray, Maine, stated Wednesday afternoon.
“Leave plenty of space between you and the driver in front of you, and allow additional time to reach your destination. Avoid abrupt braking or acceleration, and exercise extra caution on hills or when making curves. Make sure your vehicle is winterized and in good working order.”
Nolan predicted that between 1 and 4 inches of snow will accumulate in the interior regions, while affected areas could receive up to 3 inches of rain. The storm might bring winds of 10 to 15 mph to New York City, where the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is expected to take place as planned.
Temperatures are anticipated to plunge over most of the United States, with northern cities such as Minneapolis bracing for extreme cold. Although chilly weather were initially expected to spare the southeastern states, Nolan said Wednesday that a cold front related to the wintry storm system was threatening the majority of the region with tornadoes, severe winds, and huge hail.
The storm is expected to pass after the holiday, but lake-effect snow showers are expected to linger in the Northeast until the weekend.
Where Will the Most Severe Winter Storms Impact During Thanksgiving?
Winter weather advisories were issued for northern Michigan on Tuesday, with forecasters at the National Weather Service warning that up to 6 inches of more snowfall could develop in some areas by evening. Advisories were scheduled to remain current until 7 p.m. in the local time zone.
“Lake effect snowfall will increase this afternoon as a heavier band pushes onshore. If the band remains onshore through tonight, the Winter meteorological Advisory may need to be extended in the future,” according to a notice sent early Tuesday morning by the meteorological office in Marquette, Michigan. Forecasters cautioned travelers to prepare for “slippery road conditions and reduced visibility,” which could occur during their morning and evening commute.
On Tuesday afternoon, further advisories went into place in certain portions of the Northeast. Forecasts in Albany, New York, cautioned that “pockets of freezing rain” might cause dangerous road conditions in the southern Adirondacks, Lake George, and Saratoga districts, as well as southern Vermont, before returning to normal rainfall Wednesday morning.
“Be aware of slippery roads and sidewalks during the morning commute or if traveling early for Thanksgiving,” according to a weather service advisory from Albany. According to Nolan, freezing rain could result in up to one-tenth of an inch of ice.
Farther west, a low-pressure weather system linked to the ongoing atmospheric river continued to move inward from coastal areas, bringing rain and snow. The snowy weather triggered warnings in Nevada, with forecasts in Las Vegas predicting up to 14 inches of snow in higher elevations.
Meanwhile, the possibility of coming precipitation prompted a series of avalanche warnings in Colorado. According to Nolan, up to 3 feet of snow might accumulate in certain areas of the Colorado Rockies, and gusts of 30-40 miles per hour are expected to accompany the storms.
Will Winter Storms Affect Thanksgiving Travel?
According to AAA, 80 million people are scheduled to travel at least 50 miles during the next seven days, indicating that roads and airports would be congested to an unprecedented degree. If the calculations are correct, it would set a new Thanksgiving record. The massive storm sweeping large parts of the United States, from the western Rocky Mountains to the East Coast, may exacerbate the predicted congestion.
“We’ve been talking about it basically on repeat since Friday: storms on the West Coast, storms in the Northeast, and now a storm in the Mountain West,” said CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave, reporting from LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, Tuesday. “So airports from San Francisco to Las Vegas, Salt Lake, Denver, and here in the Northeast, D.C. to Boston, may all see delays today as these various storm systems move around. “There is a lot to watch.”
According to Van Cleave, the Federal Aviation Administration recorded 50,000 flights scheduled for Tuesday, and the government anticipates air traffic to be considerably busier on Wednesday and Sunday.
Where Will it Snow This Thanksgiving?
The storm system’s path remained uncertain Tuesday, but forecasters said below-average temperatures in the Northeast, particularly in interior areas, could influence whether different parts of the region receive rain or snowfall.
Forecasters say seven inches or more of snow could fall in sections of upstate New York around Albany. However, because of the uncertainty about Thanksgiving temperatures, it was still difficult to predict where the most snow would fall.
Forecasters at the Weather Prediction Center said heavy snow across the southern Sierra Nevada, Intermountain West, and Central Rockies earlier this week will be followed by snow showers across the Great Lakes, potentially resulting in up to 8 inches of snowfall in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by Thursday.
As temperatures fall in the Northern Plains ahead of the holiday, the weather forecasting center warned a series of storms across the Central United States would “facilitate an arctic outbreak across the region” overnight Wednesday into Thanksgiving.