Brace Yourself! Thunderstorms Hit Today, Snowstorm & Freezing Temps Set to Blast Wednesday

A messy spell of winter weather continued to dominate Thanksgiving forecasts, with a mix of rain and snow materializing in different areas across the United States.

Storms could potentially impact travel plans, particularly for people in eastern parts of the country and parts of the Mountain West. The latter began the holiday feeling the effects of an “Arctic blast” that broke out overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

Map Of The Thanksgiving Weather Forecast For 2024

The weather system that earlier in the week caused chaos across western states had traveled eastward, as expected, and arrived on cue Thanksgiving Day with heavy snowfall in interior sections of the northeastern U.S. Some places in upstate New York had already received more than half a foot of snow by mid-morning, according to the National Weather Service.

“A mix of rain, snow, and sleet are slated for most of the day across the Northeast,” said CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan early Thursday.

Nolan had said Tuesday that forecasting models indicated the Interstate 95 corridor, which runs along the East Coast from Miami to the Canadian border with Maine, would likely see varying amounts of rain as the storm system closed in on the East Coast.

In New York City, the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade went ahead as scheduled despite the forecast, and packed crowds of spectators donned ponchos and umbrellas as they gathered to watch the show.

The storm was on track to pick up throughout the day Thursday. Forecasters predicted it would bring between 1 and 3 inches of rain to the Northeast and between 5 and 10 inches of snow to certain areas through Sunday. The Great Lakes region was bracing for a much more significant buildup — potentially as much as 2 feet of snow.

Winter storm warnings, storm watches, and weather advisories were in effect across the interior Northeast and parts of the Midwest on Thanksgiving, with each set to remain in place until at least the end of the week and many through the weekend.

Forecasters said parts of Maine and New Hampshire could see as much as 10 inches of snowfall between Thursday and Friday, potentially interrupting travel.

“Persons should delay all travel if possible. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden changes in visibility,” the National Weather Service office in Gray, Maine, said Wednesday afternoon. “Leave plenty of room between you and the motorist ahead of you, and allow extra time to reach your destination.

Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, and be especially cautious on hills or when making turns. Make sure your car is winterized and in good working order.”