Weekend looks good, but what about Thanksgiving?

Posted by Danielle Niles November 20, 2009 at 3:17 pm

Take a look at the webcam shot our own Tim Kelley sent us as of 10:15 AM in Scituate, MA today. “Fleeting Beauty”, as he calls it (the rainbow only lasted for 2 minutes). Steady rain and downpours were widespread across New England this morning as a wave of low pressure swept through. A general half inch to inch of rain fell in many locations, with isolated wind gusts over 40 mph and some embedded thunderstorms too. While the rain continues to fall in parts of Maine, the rest of us will enjoy sunshine and mild temperatures this afternoon. Watch for a quick drop in temperatures later on though as cooler air works its way in from the northwest.

By tonight, high pressure building over the Ohio Valley will begin to nudge its way into New England. The upslope northwest wind may induce a few mountain rain or snow showers, otherwise expect clearing, breezy and cool conditions for the rest of us overnight. The high will crest overhead this weekend making for a fantastic couple of days- plenty of sunshine and temperatures generally in the 50s.

Now for the all important Thanksgiving week travel forecast! A storm system currently bringing heavy rainfall to parts of southern Texas will consolidate and eventually slide up the east coast, bringing the chance for some rain, especially across southern New England late Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday (the busiest travel day of the year!) should be okay here in the Northeast, but portions of the Southeast and Midwest will have to contend with some wet weather and potential delays.

The overall pattern will feature a big upper level trough digging into the central US which will flood the east coast with a mild southerly flow. However, this warm airmass comes with moisture, and there is a good chance of additional storminess here in New England late in the week; possibly Thanksgiving Day, but more likely the day after. Of course, the timing is very difficult to pinpoint right now, and a lot could change between now and then…so stay tuned for updates. That being said, no matter what the timing may be turn out to be, colder air will filter into New England by next weekend.

Let’s focus on one weekend at a time though…get outside and enjoy this great fall weather!