Here's Thanksgiving Day Outlook As Holiday Travelers Brace For Coast

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

Thanksgiving travelers hoping for smooth journeys may face disruptions as a major cross-country storm threatens to upend plans from coast to coast before a change in the weather pattern arrives on Turkey Day.

The system will sweep across the nation as a record 82 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday period, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

There will be lingering rain Saturday morning, Nov. 22, but the National Weather Service says drier, sunnier conditions will take over for the rest of the weekend. The break will be brief.

AccuWeather reports a developing storm will deliver heavy rain and mountain snow to parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado through the weekend.

By Monday, Nov. 24, the system shifts into the nation’s heartland, bringing downpours from Iowa to Texas. Showers and thunderstorms will then spread into the Mississippi Valley as the storm tracks east. 

The Northeast’s biggest concern: heavy rain, strong winds, and potential travel headaches Tuesday evening, Nov. 25, into Wednesday night, Nov. 26.

“There is the potential for travel delays related to rain, slick conditions, and poor visibility from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast states from Wednesday to Wednesday night, but that depends on the track, strength, and forward speed of the large storm system,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

Rain will arrive along the East Coast on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

AccuWeather

AccuWeather predicts that just a few hours of rain could disrupt travel from Washington, DC, to Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. Thunderstorms could also disrupt flights at busy airports like Atlanta and Charlotte on Wednesday.

Cold air from Canada could bring snow from Montana to Colorado, but the main threat for the Northeast will be heavy rain and possible airport delays. 

The timing of the storm’s cold front is key: Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 27, in New York City may start dry for parade-goers, but a faster front could mean lingering rain or gusty winds for much of the day.

It will be dry but windy on Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, Nov. 27.

AccuWeather

The outlook for Thanksgiving Day calls for partly to mostly sunny skies with a high temperature around 50 degrees

“At this time, we believe strong winds behind the front will hold off in New York City until the afternoon or evening and should be relatively light for the large balloons during Thanksgiving morning,” Pastelok said. “However, if the front is faster, winds may kick up sooner.”

AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno added, “There is a way it could snow along part of the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts on Thanksgiving night. A storm that forms along the front just off the Atlantic coast could capture the fresh cold air at the last minute.” 

Check back to Daily Voice for updates.