Rainy Thanksgiving Day forecast from Florida to Maine

Holiday travel is underway across the United States despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid traveling this year due to the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

Rain and gusty thunderstorms tracked across the Ohio Valley on Wednesday and the Appalachians Wednesday night as a storm shifted eastward.

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Steady, drenching rain reached the Interstate 95 corridor from Boston to New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C, late Wednesday night and lasting into Thanksgiving morning.

For the balance of the daylight hours on Thanksgiving Day, the steadiest rain will focus on central and southeastern New England, while spotty showers extend farther to the west over portions of western New England, New York state, New Jersey and the southeastern parts of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

Showers and spotty thunderstorms will persist into the evening hours from central and southeastern South Carolina to central Georgia and southeastern Alabama.

This image, captured at midday on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020, shows a swath of clouds along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Clouds were breaking farther to the northwest, but a broad zone of low clouds persisted over the Midwest. (CIRA at Colorado State/GOES-East)

Off and on rain occurred in New York City during Thursday morning, but the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade went on with no spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions.

As a consolation of sorts, temperatures have reached well into the 60s along much of the mid-Atlantic coast and the 50s in southeastern New England. Along the southern Atlantic coast, temperatures climbed well into the 70s.

A high in the middle 60s in New York City Thursday is about 10 degrees Fahrenheit above average for this time of year. This will also be the case around Philadelphia. A Thanksgiving Day high in the upper 60s is forecast for the nation's capital, which is well above average for late November. Farther north, temperatures will be closer to normal in Boston.

Some people may be able to open windows to let fresh air into the home even where rain is pouring down. While the rain may accompany a walk or jog in the park, cold-weather gear can be left at home.

The sun was making an appearance west of the Atlantic coast and east of the Appalachians on Thanksgiving afternoon. Where rain has departed, some outdoor activities can take place such as small gatherings while social distancing.

Farther west, a shield of clouds may be stubborn to break over parts of the Midwest. Temperatures are forecast to reach the 50s in the afternoon over much of the region with a few places to approach 60.

Generally dry conditions are in store for the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic states from Friday through Saturday, but clouds, showers and even heavy rain may linger and ramp up over the South as a new storm slowly brews.

Confidence is increasing that this storm will unleash a broad area of strong winds, heavy rain and even a change to heavy snow for some locations in the eastern third of the nation from late Sunday to Tuesday. Severe thunderstorms are also a concern for the Southeast states.

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