COLLEGE PARK, MD — The National Weather Service is warning millions of Americans to prepare for rapidly changing weather heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, as a powerful storm system sweeps across the northern U.S. and ushers in sharp temperature drops, high winds, and significant snowfall.
Blizzard Slams Lake Superior Region
A deep, fast-moving cyclone is delivering the first major snowstorm of the season across the northern tier states, with the strongest impacts along the south shore of Lake Superior, including Minnesota’s Arrowhead region.
Forecasters say snow totals may exceed one foot, with full blizzard conditions expected through Wednesday as frigid air rushes in behind the storm.
Rain-to-Snow Transition Across the Great Lakes
As the system expands and tracks eastward:
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Rain will transition to widespread snow across the Great Lakes by Thanksgiving morning.
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Windy conditions are expected for much of the region.
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Lake-effect snow bands may bring additional accumulations, especially southeast of Lakes Erie and Ontario, lingering into Friday.
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Snowfall in the upper Great Lakes should begin tapering by early Friday.
Eastern U.S. Faces Mild Start, Cold Holiday Finish
Much of the East Coast will begin Wednesday with above-average temperatures and scattered showers, including thunderstorms in the Southeast.
Key changes include:
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A cold front trailing the Great Lakes storm will sweep eastward through the day.
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Temperatures will plunge Wednesday night into Thursday.
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Thanksgiving Day will bring clearing skies but windy, sharply colder conditions.
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Maine will be the last area to transition from mixed precipitation to drier weather Thursday morning.
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By Friday morning, freezing temperatures may reach as far south as the Florida Panhandle.
Despite the cooldown, parts of New England will remain slightly milder than typical late-November norms.
Western U.S. Remains Mild With Pacific Wet Weather
The western states will keep a milder pattern through Thanksgiving, though the Pacific Northwest will experience:
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Periods of mountain snow and valley rain
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Multiple Pacific storm systems arriving through Friday
Montana faces an increasing chance of snow Friday morning as arctic air interacts with developing low pressure, potentially triggering an upslope snow event.
South Texas Thunderstorms Fading
Thunderstorms lingering over southern Texas early Wednesday are expected to weaken as a cold front pushes farther south throughout the day.