Minimal Weather Related Issues for Holiday Travel this Week

The countdown has started for the holiday season with Thanksgiving less than one week away.  If you're planning a trip over the hills and through the woods, the weather shouldn't cause you many delays this holiday week.

Gusty southwest winds Monday will bring temperatures over southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois into the mid and upper 40's, with a few spot tagging near 50 degrees.  Winds will be gusting close to 25 mph, so watch out on those east/west roads.

Low pressure passing to the north over the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes will pull a cold front through much of Wisconsin by Monday night, and then into northern Illinois by Tuesday morning.  Moisture associated with the front will be limited, but there could be enough that gets wrung out to produce a light shower or two Tuesday morning.  If anything, we may just end up with a little more cloud cover during the first half of the day Tuesday.  Notice how Futurecast is bringing a small shower chance along the front as it passes mid-morning Tuesday.

Following the front will be a much cooler air mass and gusty northwest winds.  Temperatures will most likely fall through the 30's by Tuesday evening, and then down into the 20's by Tuesday night. 

High pressure settles in locally Wednesday while a fast moving clipper system quickly moves into the High Plains Wednesday.  Temperatures on Wednesday will be chilly, with highs only expected to warm into the low 30's.  This will be over ten degrees below normal. 

While our skies will remain dry Wednesday, if you're planning a trip to the northwest to the Dakotas or perhaps northwest Minnesota, plan for a little snow or rain/snow mix - depending on temperatures - during the day Wednesday.

Cloud cover from that system will spread southeast Wednesday evening and night causing our skies to turn mostly cloudy as warmer air begins to spread eastward into the Great Lakes.  The forecast right now looks dry, but with the arriving warm front we may have to add in a small chance for a few flurries or light mix either late Wednesday or very early Thursday.  At this point, any impact from that looks minimal so we'll keep the forecast dry.

By Thanksgiving, the day will most likely start off with a few clouds (from the passing system to the north).  Temperatures will be below normal, but it doesn't look overly cold.  Highs will warm right around 40 degrees under partly sunny skies.

A stronger system then develops to the northwest by Friday, drawing in a little more warm air for Black Friday shoppers.  Rain showers will be most likely for states like eastern Montana (snow near the Mountains), North Dakota and Minnesota during the afternoon and evening, with most of central and northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and possibly southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois (depending on how far south the moisture will reach) Friday night into Saturday.

Rain showers will also be falling over much of Michigan overnight Friday and into Saturday, and then for Indiana and Ohio by Saturday afternoon.  As colder air arrives following the cold front Saturday, some of those showers over the eastern Great Lakes may turn to lake effect snow showers for Saturday evening and night.

The strong low pressure will move into eastern Canada taking the core of the cold with it.  There could still be a few spotty lake effect snow showers leftover for parts of the eastern Great Lakes.  High pressure then moves in from the west Sunday and Sunday night leaving much of the middle of the country dry, but cool.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday week and safe travels to wherever you're headed for Thanksgiving!