After a mostly dry Thanksgiving across the United States, forecasters say a storm bringing heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain and blizzard conditions could lead to “severe travel disruptions” for the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes from Friday through the weekend.
Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center, said the winter weather would be driven by two factors combining starting on Friday: A surge of frigid air from Canada is forecast to meet a strong storm moving east from the northern Plains. Some places could see temperatures 25 degrees below average, he said.
After Friday, the storm is “going to intensify, so snowfall amounts are going to increase in magnitude, especially as it moves into the Midwest and toward the Great Lakes,” Mr. Chenard said. “The heaviest swath of snowfall is expected from portions of eastern South Dakota, Iowa, central and Northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and then into Michigan.”
Winter storm watches were in effect through Sunday across the southeastern part of South Dakota, northwestern Nebraska, southern Minnesota, Iowa, northeastern Missouri, Illinois, southern Wisconsin and the far northwest of Indiana. The Weather Prediction Center said six to 12 inches of snow could accumulate during that period, with the highest totals likely across southern Wisconsin, as well as Iowa and Northern Illinois.
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Heavy lake-effect snow is also expected east of the Great Lakes through Friday evening. The Weather Prediction Center said some areas could receive more than a foot of snow, which might “severely affect travel” into early Saturday.
Here is a breakdown by region of what weather to expect in the days after Thanksgiving.
The Northeast
A sharp temperature drop is expected beginning Friday, with highs plunging to as much as 15 degrees below average, into the upper 30s to lower 40s.
Cold conditions are forecast to continue through Saturday before returning to near average by Sunday.
Wintry showers are possible in parts of New England, but most of the Northeast should remain dry through the weekend. But in the Great Lakes region heavy snow from the winter storm is expected to spread eastward starting Saturday afternoon.
As the storm moves into eastern Canada on Sunday, areas of New York state and New England could see light mountain snow from Sunday through Monday morning.
The Mid-Atlantic
Temperatures are predicted to drop beginning Friday, with highs in the 30s and 40s.
Light lake-effect snow is possible over northern Pennsylvania through Saturday morning, as the winter storm exits into eastern Canada. Otherwise, conditions should remain dry until another system brings rain and mountain snow from Sunday morning into Monday morning.
The Midwest
Heavy snow is expected from the Dakotas into Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and northern Missouri late Friday. It is forecast to move into Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan by Saturday night and to continue through Sunday night. Across Kansas and southern Missouri, rain and possibly freezing rain is expected through Saturday.
Brisk winds are also forecast and are likely to create blizzard conditions and drifting snow.
Cold conditions are expected to deepen beginning Friday, with temperatures dropping sharply by around 20 degrees compared with earlier in the week.
The Southeast
Much colder air is expected to arrive on Friday, sharply lowering temperatures. Southern Texas will remain warm, but a new weather system developing north of Texas is expected to spread showers and thunderstorms from eastern Texas to Mississippi on Saturday. The Weather Prediction Center has highlighted an area from eastern Texas, Oklahoma and the lower Mississippi Valley, including Houston and Baton Rouge, as a level 1 out of 4 risk, its lowest, for flash flooding through Saturday. Up to three inches of rainfall is expected. Light rain is also forecast across portions of Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas through Sunday.
The Southwest
Dry, settled weather is forecast to continue on Friday, though some snow is possible across the higher elevations of the Rockies through the weekend. Lower elevations should remain largely dry.
Cooler air is expected to start filtering southward into early next week.
The West
California is expected to remain mostly dry, calm and mild.
Washington and Oregon are likely to experience coastal and valley rain, and some mountain snow on Friday, with it spreading into parts of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming through Saturday afternoon. Heavy snow is possible in the central Rockies. Conditions should turn drier on Sunday, though some light rain and high-elevation snow is possible for Washington and Oregon.
Temperatures across the West are expected to stay near or slightly above normal through the rest of the week.
Nazaneen Ghaffar is a Times reporter on the Weather team.
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