Thanksgiving Weather Update as Map Shows States Expecting Rain, Snow

Thanksgiving travelers on the West Coast and across the Midwest can expect inclement weather next Tuesday and Wednesday, the busiest travel days ahead of the holiday.

An updated forecast from AccuWeather shows the expected weather impacts across the nation as nearly 80 million Americans are set to travel for the holiday, AAA reported.

Much of the western U.S. is expecting rain and snow showers, including the Pacific Northwest and Inner Mountain West. Washington, Oregon and much of California are expecting the wintry mix, along with Idaho, western Montana, western Wyoming, much of Colorado, Utah, most of Nevada and northern Arizona and New Mexico.

The Northeast is expected to be “mainly dry,” according to the AccuWeather forecast, only days after the first significant snowfall of the season is expected to bring several inches across eastern U.S. states including Pennsylvania and West Virginia later this week.

The Midwest and Great Lakes regions can expect rain or snow, depending on location, with snow favoring the most northern states.

“Buckle up, we’re looking at a stormy pattern for Thanksgiving week. Some wet and wintry weather could slow down families traveling ahead of Thanksgiving,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said in the forecast. “We expect some rain in the center of country and thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast on Thanksgiving Day. Cold rain and snow showers are in the forecast for parts of the interior Northwest and Four Corners region.

“Black Friday shoppers and families driving home after Thanksgiving could be dealing with rain and showers from the Gulf Coast and throughout much of the East Coast.”

However, the snowy weather will be good news for skiers venturing to western Colorado for the holiday, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines told Newsweek.

Kines added that it may still be too early to adjust travel plans, given that forecasts can change. However, if any early travelers from the northern or eastern U.S. are looking to leave this weekend, they could encounter weather challenges.

A bomb cyclone has caused hundreds of thousands of people to lose power in the Pacific Northwest, and it spurred numerous travel warnings across Washington, Oregon and California as meteorologists warn of dangerous road conditions.

Meanwhile, a winter storm over the Plains states is causing heavy snow across the Dakotas and Montana, as well as into Minnesota and Wisconsin. That storm is expected to bring heavy snow up to 20 inches to high-elevation parts of West Virginia later this week, and lower amounts across several other states.