Millions of Americans are expected to travel next week, but potentially heavy rain and snow could impact Thanksgiving travel plans for many in the eastern half of the United States.
The National Weather Service forecasts that over an inch of rain will fall in much of the Deep South, Tennessee Valley, Midwest, Southeast and East Coast from Sunday night through Wednesday. Some of the heaviest rain is expected around major cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Little Rock, Nashville, New York and Washington.
Rain is expected to be widespread, potentially slowing down travel for the 49 million Americans expected to travel by car next week. However, air travel shouldn’t be affected in most areas, with forecasters predicting precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow in main travel destinations. Nonetheless, some interior portions of the Northeast could be hit with a few inches of snow on Wednesday, as well as potential for significant lake-effect snow in western New York around Thanksgiving.
It’s predicted that most of the United States will see dry weather on Thanksgiving Day and Friday, with chilly temperatures in the East and milder temperatures in the West. There is already a prediction that another storm system might impact the East next weekend, but there is low forecast confidence many days out.
From Sunday to Tuesday, the storm will bring rain to the Deep South, Tennessee Valley and Southeast, with some areas expecting an inch or more of rain. This rainfall will also help alleviate some areas experiencing drought, especially in Mississippi and Louisiana.
From Monday to Wednesday, the system will spread rain through the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with cities like Detroit, Cincinnati, Hartford and Raleigh expecting rain. Then, Buffalo, western New York could see significant lake-effect snow around Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving Day, the eastern two-thirds of the country will have relatively mild weather. The northern Plains and Great Lakes will see the coolest weather, with daytime highs in the 20s to near 30, while the southern Plains and interior Southeast should see daytime highs in the 40s and 50s.
This news likely will impact Thanksgiving travel plans. Make sure to check your local weather forecasts and plan accordingly.