Major Snowstorm Looms for East Coast: Thanksgiving Weather Forecast

In today’s video from Direct Weather, we’re exploring a potential shift to prolonged cold weather across the Eastern United States, with a chance of a significant snowstorm just after Thanksgiving. The primary timeframe for this system is Black Friday into Saturday, affecting the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. While models suggest a major storm, it’s early for such events, making this forecast uncertain.

A pattern known as a negative EPO (Eastern Pacific Oscillation) combined with a positive PNA (Pacific-North American) is steering cold air into the East. This setup began today, with much colder temperatures already noticeable in Virginia and other regions, feeling more like mid-winter than late November. The pattern could persist for weeks, with potential snowfall events in the coming days.

Today, snowfall is expected in parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast, with heavier accumulations in Pennsylvania due to a broad low-pressure system offshore. The storm will intensify Friday into Saturday, bringing snowfall to West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York. Meanwhile, the Northwest continues to see heavy snowfall in the Cascades and Rockies, highlighting the cold’s grip across the country.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, the evolving storm track remains uncertain. If the storm arrives earlier, snowfall may be limited; later timing could bring heavier snow to interior areas of New England, Pennsylvania, and southern New York. A “Miller B” Nor’easter, where the system transitions offshore, could lead to significant snow for areas northwest of the storm’s center. However, the system’s intensity and timing will be key, with current models showing only a modest low-pressure system.

Looking further ahead, models suggest another Arctic blast could deepen in early December, maintaining a pattern of cold air dominating the East and snowy conditions across the country. While uncertainty remains for medium- to long-range forecasts, current trends indicate sustained cold and active weather, especially for interior regions more historically prone to early-season snowfall.