Season's First Flurries Give Way to Warmer, Potentially Wet Thanksgiving

LongIsland.com

After a weekend that brought snow flurries to Long Island, locals can look forward to a slightly warmer Thanksgiving, though it comes with a chance of rain.

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Long Island experienced a significant drop in temperature over the weekend.

Photo by: NWS NY Official Facebook Page

Long Island got an early taste of winter this weekend as powerful winds brought a huge drop in temperature and even some flurries Sunday night. The cold front will stick around a little longer, relegating high temperatures on the Island to the low 40s and bringing overnight lows near 30°. 
 
For its part, Thanksgiving's weather looks like it will be a bit of a mixed bag. The cold front is expected to pass by then with highs on LI possibly reaching 50°, and the intense winds that ushered in the week ought to have calmed significantly, but the increased warmth comes with a strong possibility of rain. 
 
As of Monday afternoon, the possible precipitation was still expected to err on the light side, amounting to some drizzles and scattered light showers if it hits, which means that while it might be a cloudy and wet Turkey Day, travel hopefully won't prove too difficult.
 
Though holiday travel looks like it won't be too much of an issue on Long Island itself, those who are heading out of town or expecting guests from other parts of the country should keep a closer eye on their routes and destinations. 
 
The National Weather Service warns that "rain and mountain snow is in the forecast for the Pacific Northwest for Tuesday into Wednesday as another front approaches," which could make it more difficult for those on west coast who are hoping to come east for Thanksgiving.
 
Additionally, a storm system is expected to develop around the Rockies and track toward the Ohio Valley by Wednesday afternoon. Showers and potential thunderstorms are expected across the southern and central Plains, with a possibility of flash flooding. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas could even see some more wintry weather with mixed precipitation. 
 
​Those planning on heading into the city for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade can expect similar weather as is predicted for LI. Though there is a 40% chance of rain, the showers are not likely to start until the early afternoon. With any luck the parade and its 9 AM start time will be in the clear, but it would still be wise to go prepared and bring an umbrella or rain coat. 
 
Long Island's forecast for the rest of the weekend is looking like it will follow down the same path it starts on Thanksgiving. On Monday afternoon the NWS was expecting highs to stay in the low 50s with cloudy skies and a chance of rain Friday and Saturday. Sunday may cool down a few degrees, but the skies should hopefully open up a bit to let some sun shine through.
 
For the most up to date weather information head over to the LongIsland.com Weather Center, where you can find the latest weather forecasts, advisories and more.
 
Get the latest traffic & road conditions before traveling, visit the LongIsland.com Traffic Center, and check out the live traffic feeds on our Traffic Cam Page and know what traffic conditions look like before hitting the road.
 
[Sources: NOAA, NWS]