Thanksgiving storm will likely bring first snow accumulation to parts of New England
BOSTON - Confidence is growing for a very stormy Thanksgiving throughout New England. For this reason, the WBZ Weather Team has issued a NEXT Weather Alert for Thursday.
Before we get to the holiday weather details, we have a bit of an "appetizer storm."
"Appetizer storm" on Tuesday
Locally, Tuesday will be a rainy day in the Northeast. There will be periods of rain showers mid-morning through midafternoon, mainly light to moderate.
Rainfall totals will generally be less than a half inch.
Temperatures on Tuesday will be in the 50s in our area.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for parts of central and northern New England on Tuesday.
Temperatures will be a bit cooler in this region and therefore there will be a wintry mix of rain, ice, and snow.
Snow and ice amounts will be light, but some roads could be slippery from Concord, NH and areas northward.
Nationally...It will be quite windy in the Upper Midwest (behind the area of rain).
Our Thanksgiving storm will be traveling through the Rockies on Tuesday bringing some rain and snow showers out that way.
Partly sunny on Wednesday
Locally...The quiet between the "appetizer" and the "main course." Partly sunny skies with highs in the 40s to near 50 in southern New England with a bit of a gusty breeze at times.
Nationally...The main event will now have moved into the central part of the country. It will be in the midst of getting its act together as it digs southward into northern Texas.
Expect some rain showers in the southern plains and some accumulating snowfall in parts of Wyoming and Colorado.
Wintry mix on Thanksgiving
One of the strongest storms we have seen here in quite a while will bring a wintry mix to the region. Rainfall totals across eastern Massachusetts could easily reach or top an inch.
When will the storm arrive on Thanksgiving?
It will essentially be miserable all day long. As the storm arrives in the morning hours, it will start with some light rain and snow showers. Morning high school football games will be raw and damp, getting wetter each hour.
During the afternoon and evening expect a cold and steady rain across eastern Massachusetts.
This storm will bring the first snow accumulation to parts of southern and central New England.
Taking into account the time of year, ocean temperatures, and storm track, the best chance of accumulating snowfall will be in the higher elevations. This is fairly typical for late November storms.
Areas most at risk of accumulating snow include the Green and White Mountains, the Berkshires and the highest elevations in northern Worcester County and southwest New Hampshire.
There is also potential for a period of gusty winds during the day on Thursday. While the winds are not a big concern with this storm, we could briefly see gusts of 25-45 mph along the immediate coastline. Thankfully, tides are astronomically low, so coastal flooding is not a concern.
The weather looks much quieter on Friday and this weekend, but it is going to be rather chilly.
The coldest airmass yet this season will pour into New England from Canada.
Daily highs will be stuck in the 30s and low 40s with periods of gusty winds making it feel even colder.
Things could still change and some tweaks to the forecast are likely. Stay with WBZ-TV and CBSBoston.com for the very latest.
