A lot of snow, rain, and cold weather await travelers for the rest of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, with winter storm warnings posted on November 28 across the northern part of the country, and more snow falling over Milwaukee and the Great Lakes region.
Storm warnings and advisories extended from Montana to New York, the National Weather Service said. Snow started on November 28 and is expected to last well into the weekend in some areas with Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin getting the brunt of it. Six inches to a foot or more of snow is expected in much of west-central Illinois Friday night through Saturday night.
Snowfall from the system continued across Wisconsin into November 30, after heavy bands pushed across the region on November 29. The storm intensified with snowfall rates reaching 0.5 to 1 inch per hour in parts of Milwaukee and the surrounding counties.
Roads deteriorated quickly during the heaviest window, with low visibility, blowing snow, and widespread slick conditions.
The storm followed a classic panhandle hook track, drawing deep Gulf moisture north as it curved from the Texas–Oklahoma panhandle toward the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. That trajectory allowed for higher snow totals, and by early November 30, many areas around Milwaukee were reporting between 6 and 10 inches.
Light additional accumulation was expected to persist, but overall travel conditions seemed to be improving as winds eased and visibility gradually recovered. Dangerous spots remained, especially in areas that received the highest totals or where plows were still clearing.
Forecasts called for lingering clouds, cold wind, and scattered blowing snow through November 31. So far, forecast conditions have not met blizzard warning criteria, meteorologists said, which are winds of at least 35 mph, visibilities of less than a quarter mile, and lasting more than three hours.
More than a foot of snow remains likely in parts of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan, according to the weather service.
Snow squalls on November 28 brought quick bursts of heavy snow, and dangerous, whiteout conditions for driving across the interior Northeast, the weather service said. Its winter storm severity index warned of highly dangerous driving conditions in eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois into November 29.
In the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, a combination of snow and rain was expected. By November 29, the snow was predicted to taper off for the Rockies and northern Plains, but continue on to the Midwest.
To the south, storms — some of them heavy — remained in the forecast, with some flash flooding possible before November 30 in the western Gulf Coast.
Temperatures were well below average in the eastern and central parts of the country, with highs expected in the 20s degrees F and 30s degrees F in the Midwest, the 30s and 40s in New England and Mid-Atlantic areas, and the 40s and 50s in the Southeast.
The snowy weather on Thanksgiving brought a number of vehicle crashes in western Michigan and Southeast Wisconsin.
