Rain, wind threaten New England for early Thanksgiving travel as cold front moves across region this weekend
A significant impact on travel isn’t expected due to the storm’s quick arrival and departure, but a few delays at airports and on roads and highways are possible due to rain and gusty winds in New England.
Cold front to bring rain, wind to East Coast
Thanksgiving travelers may have to contend with delays and cancellations this weekend as two storm systems threaten to create travel trouble.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the FOX Forecast Center is closely monitoring a cold front and coastal storm affecting portions of the Eastern Seaboard.
This could cause delays for travelers in the Northeast and New England planning to start their holiday early this weekend.
Precipitation from the cold front began in the Northeast on Friday, with most of the rain now centered over New England on Saturday. Some impacts from the coastal storm are also arriving Saturday along the immediate coastline.
With the latest computer model guidance taking the coastal storm's track farther away from the East Coast, the FOX Forecast Center said the rain from the coastal storm will be limited and confined mostly to the immediate southeastern New England coast and Downeast Maine.
Most of the rain will fall along the cold front sweeping from west to east across the region. Temperatures will be too warm for significant snow, but the highest mountains of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine could see a few inches of snow as colder air rolls in behind the front.
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The exclusive FOX Model Futuretrack through Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023.
(FOX Weather)
"(The storm) is making a beeline right up the coast, and this is going to create a problem once it gets closer to the mid-Atlantic and into New England," FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said. "At that point, it does collide with the cold front coming off the Great Lakes. And as we go into the weekend, we’re going to have widespread rain."
Rain totals aren’t expected to amount to much, but combined with gusty winds, a few delays are possible in the air and on the roads.
Cities such as Philadelphia and New York aren't expected to see much additional rainfall, but Boston could see occasional showers on Saturday.
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(FOX Weather)
Communities closest to the center of the coastal low face the potential of seeing heavier precipitation. Places like Martha’s Vinyard and Downeast Maine have the greatest chance of seeing higher rain totals through Saturday.
The National Weather Service office in Boston said it does not expect any flooding concerns from the storm system, but it will be occasionally windy. Wind gusts of at least 20-30 mph will impact the region on Friday and last well into Saturday.
Behind the cold front, temperatures are expected to fall to values well below average – a pattern that could stick around through most of the Thanksgiving holiday week.
(FOX Weather)