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Thanksgiving weather and travel: A storm, cold and snow with lake effects can cause problems.
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Thanksgiving weather and travel: A storm, cold and snow with lake effects can cause problems.



CNN

Mother Nature is about to deliver some unsavory conditions to the millions of Thanksgiving travelers: sloppy weather, snow, the coldest temperatures since February and a potentially disruptive storm are on their way over the holiday weekend.

Here you can read from day to day what you can expect this week.

A fast-moving storm is bringing rain to parts of the East Coast, while a few snowflakes are falling around the Great Lakes. Some slick spots are possible in the higher elevations of the Northeast, where temperatures remain cooler Tuesday.

Widespread travel problems are unlikely in the East. Some issues are possible for airports in the greater New York City and Boston area due to low cloud and light rain.

High pressure will keep the central US clear of dangerous travel weather.

The second atmospheric river storm of the past week is battering parts of the West. Snow at high elevations will cover areas from California’s Sierra Nevada to the Colorado Rockies, while rain will fall at lower elevations.

Parts of central and southern California could see heavy enough rain to cause flash flooding. Conditions will ease during the day in California and Nevada, but sloppy weather will continue further east, especially in Utah and Colorado.

Dry, calm and mostly sunny weather will shift eastward during the day for last-minute travelers.

A storm will develop over the southern Plains and Mississippi Valley in the afternoon, after a dry start to the day in the central US. This storm will spread rain from the center of the country to the Appalachians.

From Illinois into northern Pennsylvania and southern New York, rain may mix with snow for a while in the evening. This would create slippery conditions for all early morning travelers on Thanksgiving.

CNN Digital Tracker Winter Storm Precipitation Accum Euro WW2 112624.png

Much of the West will dry out as the atmospheric, river-driven storm dissipates late in the day, with Colorado and northern New Mexico the exceptions.

One to two meters of snow may accumulate rising in the higher elevations of Utah and western Colorado by the end of the day, reaching up to 3 feet in the highest peaks. Most of the snow remains west of Denver.

Much of the US will be dry but cold on Thanksgiving, with the exception of the East.

The dreary weather will extend from the Gulf Coast to the northeast as the storm that formed late Wednesday moves east.

Predicted confidence in the storm’s strength and track has increased after two separate scenarios became possible on Monday.

A moderate storm will track from the central Appalachians in the morning and reach the southern coast of New England by the afternoon. Along the way, rain and windy conditions will spread across the east coast.

CNN Digital Tracker Winter Storm Precipitation Accum Euro Thursday 2 112624.png

The rain will not be heavy enough to cause flooding, but could lead to poor visibility at times for anyone traveling on the road. Many areas, from the Gulf Coast to New England, will see less than an inch of rain.

Gloomy weather with low clouds can sometimes cause problems for airports on the East Coast.

Wet, sloppy snow will fall at the highest points of the Northeast on Thursday. Several inches could accumulate in northern New York and New England late Thursday evening.

Friday and the weekend

Dry but frigid conditions will develop over the US.

The low morning temperatures will be the coldest since last winter for millions of people. High temperatures peak at late December or January levels.

The Thanksgiving storm will be mostly from the east at sunrise, but lake-effect snow will develop in areas downwind of the Great Lakes as Arctic air flows over the record warm lakes.

Over the course of a few days, several feet of snow could accumulate in some places and continue to fall into next week.

Wind gusts of 20 to 30 km per hour will make it quite windy in the Midwest throughout Friday. These gusts of wind could cause problems for busy airports in the region.

A widespread cold snap of cold Arctic air threatens much of the US. Cold air will move into northern states early this week before a significant flow of winter-like air becomes widespread on Thursday.

Chicago will struggle to reach the mid-30s on Thanksgiving Day — a temperature better suited for late December. Parts of North Dakota will barely reach the teens and will look more like January.

Millions from coast to coast will be freezing on Friday. Low temperatures on Friday morning will dip below zero in the Dakotas and dip into the low teens across much of the northern and central US.

Below average temperatures (blue and purple) extend across the US through the weekend.

High temperatures as far south as the Gulf Coast will likely be 10 degrees or more below normal, and some locations may not exceed 60 degrees.

Many regions in the central and eastern US will experience their coldest conditions yet this season.

Philadelphia hasn’t recorded a high in the 30s since February, but could get close on Saturday or Sunday. The same can be said of New York City.

Cold air will linger over much of the East as the calendar shifts to December and could last until the first week of the new month, according to forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center.

CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward contributed to this report.