Thanksgiving travel: Philly braces for bouts of rain, chilly temperatures ahead of holiday

PHILADELPHIA – There’s no place like home for the holidays, but forecasters say your trip over the river and through the forest this Thanksgiving could be affected by a looming winter storm.

The bulk of the storm could hit parts of New York state through Virginia with accumulating snow, strong winds and winter-like temperatures, but Philadelphia is not off the hook. Forecasters believe the storm could send some much-needed rain our way from Wednesday night into Friday with daytime temperatures in the 50s and 60s.

AAA predicts that 80 million Americans will travel this Thanksgiving, over 70 million of whom are expected to travel by car. That number, AAA says, “surpasses pre-pandemic numbers, when 70.6 million people drove to their Thanksgiving destinations in 2019.”

Will Philly see snow?

This graphic shows the expected snow total this week. (FOX Weather)

Forecasters are not currently predicting any snowfall in Philadelphia or its suburbs. While weather models are still taking shape, the possibility of measurable snow is expected to remain far west of Pennsylvania late this week, including Pittsburgh and Williamsport.

Only 1-3 inches are currently forecast in these areas, while parts of West Virginia and neighboring states could see a foot of snow. Forecasters agree that cold air from the Great Lakes could create “lake effect” snow in New York, but that will depend on how cold temperatures fall.

“There is uncertainty in the size of the cold air, which could affect the type of precipitation and snow totals for some locations,” the agency said in a post on Facebook.

Travel outlook

This graphic shows the expected rainfall in the Northeast. (FOX Weather)

Whether you’re staying local or taking a multi-state road trip in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, you may experience some minor travel hazards late this week. The weather service says Philly travelers should be on the lookout for pockets of rain starting Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday morning.

The threat will diminish as the weekend approaches with the possibility of a stray shower Friday afternoon. Temperatures during the week will drop into the 50s and bottom out in the upper 30s at night.

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