Arkansas Storm Team Weather Blog: Thanksgiving travel forecast, here’s what you need to know
Thanksgiving is just over one week away and millions of Americans are finalizing their travel plans. In this weather blog, I’m breaking down what to expect for the days leading up to Thanksgiving whether you are traveling across the street or across the country.
Saturday, November 18th, most of the country will feature relatively calm weather, but if you’re traveling to the Northeast or the Rockies you could run into some minor delays. A storm system will bring heavy rain and mountain snow to New England and another weaker storm will bring rain and mountain snow to the Rockies. Temperatures will be seasonable.
Here in Arkansas, Saturday looks pretty quiet. Temperatures will be pretty chilly in the morning, but we will warm into the upper 50s and low 60s in the afternoon. Driving and flying conditions will be great on Saturday.
, the storm system over the Rockies will bring rainfall to the plains and parts of the midsouth. Thunderstorms will be possible across east Texas and the Ark-La-Tex. It looks like there could be a low risk for some of those thunderstorms to become severe. I don’t think this will cause many flight delays, but it could lead to minor slowdowns on the roads. Meanwhile, the storm in the northeast will move into Canada. Temperatures will be seasonal across most of the nation with cold air moving into New England.
In Arkansas, we will have the chance for rain and thunderstorms. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the storms will become severe in Southwest Arkansas. It’s too soon to talk about specifics, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Temperatures will top out in the 50s.
, the storm system over the midsection of the country will strengthen and expand. The main impacts will be rain from the Southeast to the Upper Midwest. Snow will be possible in the high plains and Rockies. It looks like strong to severe thunderstorms could impact Alabama, Georgia, and North Florida. Flight delays will be more likely on Monday. If you plan on driving, you should still give yourself extra time on wet roads. Temperatures will be mild everywhere except the northeast and the Rockies.
In Arkansas, we will see the chance for rain all day. Temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s. Location across south Arkansas could warm into the low 70s.
, the storm will continue moving east. This will bring widespread rain to the Midwest and mid-Atlantic states. Snow will be possible in Minnesota. Some flight delays will be possible again with the rain over several busy airports.
In Arkansas, a few showers will be possible in the morning with clearing in the afternoon. Temperatures will be chilly.
, the storm will impact New England with rain. The rest of the country will be pretty quiet. Temperatures will be chilly for most Americans.
In Arkansas, Wednesday will be quiet and cold. Temperatures will be near freezing in the morning with afternoon highs in the 40s. I don’t expect any impact on travel.
, the weather looks great for traveling. Rain will be possible in the Pacific Northwest, but the rest of the country will be cold and quiet. Temperatures will be 5-10° below normal for most of us. The weather looks dry for the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, but it looks like it could be a bit windy.
In Arkansas, the weather will be calm and chilly. Great weather for a backyard football game!
Overall, there aren’t any massive snow storms or blizzards that will shut down travel completely. The only days where some minor delays could occur are Monday and Tuesday.
It’s a little early to talk specifics for the travel the weekend after Thanksgiving. One forecast model is showing snow in the midwest the weekend after, but a lot could change between now and then.
Confidence is higher that we will see widespread below-average temperatures after Thanksgiving.
Stick with the Arkansas Storm Team for forecast updates!
