Post-Thanksgiving weather shaping up to be soggy in the Northeast
Less than a week after record-setting low temperatures and a blockbuster lake-effect snowstorm made it feel like the middle of winter in parts of the Midwest and Northeast, rain and milder air are forecast for travelers in these regions around Thanksgiving.
According to AccuWeather forecasters, the wettest day for many will be this Friday, a traditionally busy day for holiday shopping.
The storm responsible for this unsettled weather will be a quick-moving system that will swoop down from Canada and reach the Midwest on Thanksgiving Day. Meteorologists say these fronts typically can pick up some extra moisture as they move into the Northeast, but that won't necessarily be the case this time, as the heaviest moisture will remain in the Southeast and instead will get absorbed by a separate storm that will develop into the weekend.
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For those still shoveling out from the multiple feet of snow that fell over New York late last week and this past weekend, the lack of moisture is good news, because it means the threat posed by flooding or additional roof failures due to heavy rain and melting snow will be lower.
"Not enough rain is likely to fall to lead to major flooding concerns," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. Generally, only up to 1 inch of rain is expected from Thanksgiving night into Friday in the Great Lakes region.
"Minor street flooding is still likely to occur where snow is blocking storm drains," Sosnowski added.
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Farther east across New England and the rest of the Northeast, the precipitation could linger into Friday evening, including in New York City and Boston.
The heaviest rain will fall on the tail end of the front from the Tennessee Valley into parts of southern Virginia and the Carolinas, where an area of low pressure could form. Rainfall amounts here could tally close to an inch and could lead to slow travel on the roadways in cities like Charlotte and Raleigh.
The precipitation from this front will be predominately rain, but colder areas in the Upper Midwest from Minnesota to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Thanksgiving, and around the Adirondacks into northern New England Friday, will likely experience some snow. However, accumulations should be light and only cause minor travel problems, AccuWeather forecasters say.
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One silver lining to the forecast is that, outside of the rainy periods, much milder air will arrive around Thanksgiving for those with outdoor plans, such as attending or participating in parades or football games. Only a slight drop in temperature is anticipated behind the front Friday and Friday night.
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Following high temperatures in the 60s on Thanksgiving Day, the air will still be mild with temperatures in the 50s Friday in locations from the Carolinas to Virginia. Residents in areas farther north from Ohio into the mid-Atlantic can expect high temperatures in the 50s Thursday and the 40s Friday, just days after the mercury failed to rise above the 20s and 30s. Chillier air, but still milder relative to last weekend, will persist from the Great Lakes into New England, with highs in the 40s expected.
The higher temperatures may also provide an opportunity for snow-weary western New York residents ahead of the rain.
Following the first round of rain, a brief break and window for great travel conditions will occur in most of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast Saturday before a second, more moisture-packed, storm arrives from the south. That storm will have the potential to snarl travel from southwest to northeast across the region from Sunday to Sunday night, which is usually one of the busiest travel stretches of the year.
The bulk of the rain from the second storm may not reach New York City and Boston until late Sunday when many people may take to the roads to head home from their holiday weekend ventures.
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"Where roof collapses are still a concern, property owners may want to take advantage of the milder weather to get the snow off the roof, if they can do so safely or professionally," said Sosnowski. "Since the bulk of the rain is likely to fall from the second storm from later Saturday to Sunday, there is time to clear roofs and storm drains."
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