Depending on who you ask, it is said that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year. Whether you are flying home, driving to Grandma’s house or running to the store because you forgot gravy, odds are that at some point this week, you will travel somewhere.

As you prepare for your travel this week, ensuring that you do so safely is imperative and nothing has the ability to disrupt the best laid travel plans like the weather does.  So what does this holiday week entail?

Monday the 25th

Monday – Pivotal Weather, LLC

Monday is fairly quiet across much of the lower 48. The storm system that impacted New England on Sunday lifts northeast into maritime Canada. A weak storm brings a sprinkle or flurry to northern Minnesota and the Lake Superior area. Across the Rocky Mountains, a storm system is beginning to form between Salt Lake City and Denver.

Tuesday the 26th

Tuesday – Pivotal Weather, LLC

Two significant storm systems make their presence known on Tuesday. The first being the low pressure moving east from the Denver area. This system is a typical high plains winter storm. Showers/thunderstorms to the south and east in the warm sector. Blowing snow with potential blizzard conditions to the north and west.  Places from Denver to Minneapolis could pick up 6-12″ of snow.

The second storm is a strong area of low pressure coming ashore along the Oregon coastline. Heavy rain and strong winds will impact the lower elevations, while heavy snow will fall in the mountains.  From the National Weather Service in Medford, Oregon:

A highly unusual, rapidly deepening Pacific storm system is
expected to make landfall on the southern Oregon coast Tuesday
evening. This surface low pressure, potentially one of the
deepest recorded in recent memory, will produce very strong winds
across the region, particularly at the coast, over the area
ridgelines, and in the valleys of Josephine, Jackson, and
Siskiyou counties. Everyone in the affected area should be
prepared for potentially damaging winds.

Wednesday the 27th

Wednesday – Pivotal Weather, LLC

The storm system that brought near blizzard conditions from Denver to Minneapolis on Tuesday continues to drift northward through the Great Lakes, weakening as it progresses. Rain/snow will shift northeastward through the Mid-Atlantic and New England states.

The abnormally strong storm system along the west coast moves into the Rockies bringing snow to many locations. As it does, this storm will draw eastern Pacific moisture northward into the four corners and west Texas region.

Thursday the 28th

Thursday – Pivotal Weather, LLC

Storm number 1 exits stage right into the northwest Atlantic. Thursday should be quite windy across eastern New England on the backside of that storm. Storm number 2 continues to spin over the Rockies. The Pacific moisture that was drawn northward Wednesday brings a period of rain/snow to the plains states.

Friday the 29th

Friday – Pivotal Weather, LLC

Storm number 2 final gets a move on and heads north towards the Dakotas. Another classic great plains winter storm system.  Showers/thunderstorms on the south and east side, with heavy, blowing snow on the north and west side of the low.  Strong high pressure in southern Canada will prevent this storm from gaining much latitude and force it to slide east along the northern U.S.

Saturday the 30th

Saturday – Pivotal Weather, LLC

Strong Canadian high pressure causes the northern plains blizzard to stall and drift eastward. Rain/snow and everything in between shifts eastward through the Great Lakes and towards the northeast.

Another storm system brings unsettled weather to the west coast.  Much needed rain/snow for California.

Sunday the 1st

Sunday – Pivotal Weather, LLC

Unsettled weather continues for California, while the energy from the Plains blizzard shifts eastward and brings rain/snow to the New England area.

All in all a busy week in the weather department with multiple storms impacting the west coast and plains states. The eastern U.S. will feel the effects from these storms eventually, but in reality, eastern areas get the leftovers.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

-Chris

 


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