Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
200 PM EST Wed Nov 26 2025

Valid 00Z Thu Nov 27 2025 - 00Z Sat Nov 29 2025

...Deep cyclone moving through the Great Lakes will continue to foster
blizzard conditions along the south shore of Lake Superior through
Thanksgiving Day...

...Heavy lake-effect snow can be expected downwind of the Great Lakes
going through the remainder of the holiday week as cold high pressure
surges south and east across the central and eastern U.S....

...A storm system just offshore of the Pacific Northwest will bring
locally heavy rainfall to the coastal ranges of western Washington and
Oregon, with locally heavy snow across the Washington Cascades and
eventually the northern Rockies and northern High Plains going through
Friday...

A strong area of low pressure supported by a deep upper-level trough
advancing across the Great Lakes region will continue to bring blizzard
conditions from heavy accumulating snowfall and strong winds along the
south shore of Lake Superior and into the adjacent higher terrain away
from the lake across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northwest
Wisconsin. These conditions are expected to persist through Thanksgiving
Day and will make for locally impossible travel conditions. This will be
aided by much colder temperatures surging south and east around the back
side of the low center and with aid of cold high pressure dropping down
across the northern Plains and into the Midwest. The result will be heavy
lake-effect snowfall which should spread downwind of all of the Great
Lakes by later Thanksgiving Day and into Friday. As much as 1 to 2 feet of
new snowfall is expected to fall downwind of all of the Great Lakes going
through the end of the holiday week.

The coldest air of the season so far will be surging across the central
and eastern U.S., with many areas of the Plains, Midwest, and the East
seeing temperatures dropping well below normal as a strong cold front
gradually exits off the East Coast tonight. With exception of the
lake-effect snow concerns around the Great Lakes, much of the eastern half
of the country should be dry on Thanksgiving, but much of the Northeast
will see strong, gusty winds. Thus, many areas here will see very blustery
conditions for any outdoor Thanksgiving festivities, including the Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

In contrast, the western U.S. will remain milder than normal through the
Thanksgiving holiday. The Pacific Northwest will be unsettled as a storm
system just offshore drives locally heavy rains for the coastal ranges of
western Washington and Oregon. This will translate into heavy snowfall for
the high terrain of the Washington Cascades, and this moisture and a
threat of heavy snow will spread east into the northern Rockies and
portions of the northern High Plains by Friday.

Orrison/Kong


Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php