News Release

Satellite shows storms on both US coasts for Thanksgiving travelers

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

GOES Image of Thanksgiving Storms

image: On Nov. 22 at 10:15 a.m. EST (1515 UTC) NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this visible image of the US showing storm systems on the East and West coasts for Thanksgiving travelers. view more 

Credit: NOAA/UWM-CIMSS

Satellites are keeping an eye on the U.S. and NOAA's GOES East satellite showed two storm systems for pre-Thanksgiving travelers on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017. One system was exiting the northeastern U.S. while the other was affecting the Pacific Northwest.

On Nov. 22 at 10:15 a.m. EST (1515 UTC) NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this visible image of the U.S. showing storm systems on the East and West coasts for Thanksgiving travelers. In the northeastern U.S. clouds associated with a cold front were covering the New England states in the image. Clouds associated with a system in the Pacific Northwest were seen over Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Colorado.

Pre-Thanksgiving travelers in the northern Plains and Upper Great Lakes will experience arctic air that is expected to bring periods of snow, blustery winds and cold wind chills. The National Weather Service said that light snow is also possible in New England and the Ohio Valley.

NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center (WPC) in College Park Md. said that "more heavy rain is expected for the Northwest and another cold front will sweep through the central and eastern states."

On the U.S. West coast, active weather will remain north of San Francisco through Thanksgiving as a result of persistent onshore flow and deep moisture moving inland.

WPC said that this flow will create a heavy rainfall event along and west of the Cascades Mountain range, with the potential for amounts in excess of three inches possible, particularly for western Washington.

The northern Rockies are also expected to receive moderate to heavy rain as the moisture moves farther inland. Snow will be confined only the highest mountain locations, mainly above tree line. The WPC cautions that "some instances of flooding will also be possible across parts of the Pacific Northwest."

In the southwestern U.S, an upper level ridge or elongated area of high pressure will continue to bring warm and dry conditions. Lower elevations in the areas of the desert southwest are expected to have hot high temperatures near 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

For travelers east of the Rockies, a cold front is exiting the U.S. East Coast on Nov. 22, and will usher in cooler temperatures to much of the eastern U.S. In the southeastern U.S., a stalling cold front is expected to bring showers and a few thunderstorms across Florida and the southeast over the next couple of days.

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For updated forecasts, visit the National Weather Service website: http://www.weather.gov.


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