Is a snowy Thanksgiving on your mind? Many people across the nation are expected to kick off the holiday season with cold weather and snowfall, potentially leading to travel disruptions this year.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, stated on X that “freezing your holiday leftovers shouldn’t be an issue depending on your location this Thanksgiving. Get ready for a cold blast in the central U.S., accompanied by wet weather in the East.”

According to the National Weather Service, a low-pressure system will bring significant snowfall to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday morning. By afternoon, showers and thunderstorms are expected to form in the mid and lower Mississippi Valley, as well as the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, before moving towards the East Coast on Thanksgiving Day.

In the Northeast, light to moderate snowfall is anticipated, with the Northern Appalachians expected to receive 4 to 8 inches of snow by Friday morning.

Which states are likely to witness new snowfall on Thanksgiving?

According to the National Weather Service, fresh snow is expected in the following states during the holiday:

• Idaho
• Montana
• Wyoming
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Minnesota
• Wisconsin
• Michigan
• Maine

In addition, mixed precipitation is predicted on Wednesday for several states, stretching from Arizona through the Plains and Great Lakes to Maine. Parts of Colorado may see heavy snowfall ahead of the holiday.

Forecasts for the following day

Forecasters noted that a wave of frigid Arctic air is expected to sweep through almost the entire eastern half of the country this weekend and into the early part of next week. This cold spell could persist for some time.

This marks the first major Arctic outbreak of the season, arriving in the northern Rockies and northern Plains on Thanksgiving and Friday, as reported by the National Weather Service. The cold front will continue to push south and east across much of the Plains and Midwest throughout the weekend.

The NWS indicated that significant snowfall and perilous cold conditions are expected in the Midwest and Northeast starting Friday. Areas stretching from the western Texas border to the southeastern coast of Virginia, including parts of northern Florida, may face frost or freeze warnings until December 3.

On Friday, fresh snowfall is also projected for Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Ohio.

Travel predictions are also in play

Any disruptions to flights will occur at a historically inconvenient time.

Recently, the Transportation Security Administration disclosed that it anticipates the busiest Thanksgiving travel period ever, projecting that agents will screen 18.3 million individuals from Tuesday through December 2. This marks a 6% increase compared to 2023.

Passenger numbers have reached unprecedented levels in 2024, showing a 17% rise since 2022, according to the TSA. Administrator David Pekoske noted that all of the top ten busiest travel days in TSA history occurred in 2024 and expressed expectations for this trend to continue.

Low gas prices may encourage record travel

AAA estimates that 79.9 million individuals will venture 50 miles or more from home for Thanksgiving from Tuesday to December 2, an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019.

“Thanksgiving is the peak travel holiday, and this year we’re expecting to break records in every category, from driving to flying and cruising,” stated Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel.

Saving on fuel prices is likely to drive increased travel, with the national average possibly falling below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021.