Thanksgiving Day Forecast
The weather will remain active across the Southwest on Thanksgiving with the storm system currently bringing flooding rains to Southern California moving further east. Numerous showers with mountain snows across Colorado and Utah will accompany the storm system, while scattered thunderstorms can be expected ahead of the system across the Southern Plains. Meanwhile, a weakening cold front will approach the Pacific Northwest bring light rain to primarily the coastal areas of Washington and Oregon and Olympic Mountains during the afternoon. Although much of the Northeast will remain tranquil behind yesterday’s storm system, like effect snows will be likely across northern Michigan and upstate New York, with some flurries possible in nearby locations. Another cold surge will begin sliding down out of Canada and into the Northern Plains, bringing an end to the recent days of mild weather. Temperatures elsewhere will remain near seasonal normals.
Election Day Forecast
Two weather-related problem areas may affect voter turnout tomorrow due to increased chances of rain and/or snow. The first will be a large area of rain and rain showers across much of the Western U.S. as the Pacific storm system currently moving into coastal sections of Oregon and Washington moves into the northern Rockies. The exception to the wet weather will be the Southwest where conditions will remain mild and dry. Mountain snow will also be likely across the northern Cascades of Washington where snow levels will lower to around 4000 feet and the usual higher elevations of the Northern and Central Rockies. Ahead of this storm system it will be warm and dry with windy conditions expected across the Southern and Central Plains.
The second area of disturbed weather will occur off along the North Carolina and Virginia coasts as an area of low pressure strengthens just off the coast. Heavy rain is likely along the immediate coast with the potential for high tides and rough surf from North Carolina northward along the coasts of Maryland and Delaware.
Trick-or-Treat Forecast
Much of the country will enjoy a calm and warm Halloween today as high pressure dominates the weather forecast into Saturday. The only exceptions will be the West Coast, especially the Pacific Northwest, where a persistent light to moderate rain will fall throughout much of the day. A brief break in the rain can be expected later in the evening and into the early nighttime hours across the Pacific Northwest before another stronger system begins affecting the region on Saturday. A few spotty showers with an ocassional thunderstorm are possible across the panhandle of Florida and parts of Missouri and Arkansas.
Aside from the rain along the West Coast, the main weather story today will be the warm temperatures extending into the Northern Plains region around the backside of high pressure along the Southeast coast. Daytime high temperatures well into the 70s and 80s can be expected from Texas northward into South Dakota, which will give way to very comfortable early evening temperatures just in time for the trick-or-treaters. Cooler temperatures will be found across northern sections of New England along the Canadian border as a cold front brushes the area. For the West Coast, temperatures during the day will not change all that much across the Pacific Northwest under cloud cover and rain showers. Expect early evening temperatures in the 50s west of the Cascades, and slightly cooler on the leeward side with temperatures falling into the mid and upper 40s.
The Washington Post featured HAMrad 1 imagery on their front page this morning as Tropical Storm Hanna made landfall along the South Carolina coastline. Click the thumbnail below for a larger view of the screenshot.
Tropical Storm Hanna, currently just off the Southeastern US coast, will begin to make its move northward today as the front across the Mississippi Valley moves east. Hanna is expected to make landfall as a tropical storm along the northern South Carolina coast during the early morning hours tomorrow morning. It will then increase forward speed and ride north along the I-95 corridor bringing a quick bout of heavy rain and gusty winds to the major cities such as Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. By Sunday night, Hanna is expected to be in the vicinity of Nova Scotia.
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