Thanksgiving weekend Arctic blast in heartland, heavy lake-effect snow in Great Lakes
The 2024 Thanksgiving weekend will bring a significant Arctic blast to the U.S. heartland, with dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills extending across the northern Plains and upper Midwest. This Arctic outbreak is expected to deliver the coldest conditions since February, lasting through the holiday weekend across the Northern Plains-Midwest and into parts of the South and East. The threat of heavy lake-effect snows across the Great Lakes continues to increase as well.
Image credit: NOAA/NWS
The first significant Arctic outbreak of the season will arrive in the northern Plains on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024. The cold will advance farther south and east through much of the Plains and Midwest on Friday and persist into this weekend, the NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) warns.
Temperatures are likely to be the coldest since mid-late February in the northern Plains and Midwest, providing an abrupt change from the record, or near-record, warm autumn so far.
At the peak of the Arctic outbreak, minimum wind chills are expected to drop below 0 °F (-17.8 °C) across much of the northern Plains and upper Midwest.
Wind chills in parts of the Dakotas are forecasted to plunge below -26.1 °C (-15 °F), with some areas experiencing temperatures as low as -34 to -40 °C (-30 to -40 °F). Such conditions significantly increase the risk of hypothermia and frostbite on exposed skin. Travelers are advised to carry a winter survival kit if travel is unavoidable.
Formidable lake-effect snow bands and snow showers will develop east and southeast of the Great Lakes, resulting in significant accumulations and drifting snow in the hardest-hit areas.
Travel disruptions are likely, especially on I-90 between Cleveland and Buffalo and I-81 north of Syracuse. Travel could be very difficult to impossible in the hardest hit areas.
Forecast accumulations will become more clear as the event approaches.
References:
1 Thanksgiving forecast: An Arctic blast in the heartland, wet weather in the East – NOAA – November 26, 2024
2 Key Messages for Thanksgiving Weekend Arctic Blas – NWS/WPC – November 27, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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