Thanksgiving Snow 2013: Lots of Rain And Wind But Not Too Much White Stuff

Get out your galoshes, Thanksgiving travelers, because it’s going to be a wet one! But according to CBS, though there will be plenty of rain and wind, there might not be that much snow. The news site referred to the messy weather system that is about to hit the mid-Atlantic coast and New England as “the biggest storm we have seen in months,” which may cause problems for those who want to fly home for the holiday.

Most of the precipitation that falls will be in the form of rain. Snow accumulation can be expected on the extreme western edge of the storm, in cities like Buffalo, N.Y., Pittsburgh and Cleveland, where several inches of snow are likely within the next 24 hours.

It’s supposed to rain throughout Tuesday night in the Northeast and into the Wednesday morning commute where rain is expected to taper into light showers by the afternoon. There might be one last spurt of precipitation late Wednesday night into Thursday morning just as the colder air begins to settle in. According to the news site, if this happens, there’s a good chance snow will cover the ground Thanksgiving morning.

When the rain gets heavier, it could fall up to a half inch per hour, with a total of 1 to 3 inches of rainfall across Southern New England, with possible higher amounts in certain areas. River flooding, however, is not something to worry about since there hasn’t been much rainfall for months. Street flooding, on the other hand, is a possibility if storm drains are clogged with leaves.

Strong winds can also be expected during this storm, with hurricane-force gusts likely a few hundred feet above the surface. Though these hurricane-like gusts most likely won’t be felt on the ground, wind speeds of 25 to 50 mph are likely. Power outages are possible, along with downed tree limbs.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Bruce Terry, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service, said travel conditions could be “very treacherous.” "We've got everything with this - real heavy rains, (at) the lower elevations a band of freezing rain, heavy snows and then behind it, wind," he said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a winter weather warning and urged motorists to exercise extreme caution. The high winds could affect the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and even ground the famous giant balloons.

Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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