Winter storm brings first widespread cold snap ahead of Thanksgiving week travel

A late November storm is set to bring a variety of impacts, including severe weather, snow accumulation, high winds and the first real blast of winter-like temperatures this season, which could threaten travel at the start of Thanksgiving – the week.

The storm is expected to develop out of the Rockies early next week and sweep north into the Northern Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday.

That will bring some soaking rain and the potential for the first snow of the season on the storm’s western flanks.

Colder air behind the storm will flow into the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley, where temperatures are expected to drop below freezing.

Some frost is even possible along the Gulf Coast.

Meanwhile, the storm will intensify as it spins over the Great Lakes from Wednesday into Thursday, bringing a widespread threat of high winds across the Great Lakes and eastern United States.

As the storm center drifts into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast toward the end of the week, trailing strong winds are expected to blow over Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and bring the potential for heavy snow across western Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. as well as western New York.

Snowfall is possible across parts of the interior Ohio Valley, northern mid-Atlantic, and interior Northeast by the end of the week into the weekend, although there is still considerable uncertainty in the amount of cold air available for snowfall.

Whether it rains or snows, the inclement weather at the start of the weekend across the Northeast has the potential to snarl air and road traffic just as the Thanksgiving travel week gets underway.

Travel aside, temperatures are expected to plunge across much of the northern plains and northeastern quadrant of the United States over the weekend, bringing a wintry feel to the start of the holiday week.