Faster storm means a rainy Thanksgiving

High pressure areas that have kept the region cold and dry for the past few days are moving off to the northeast and weakening. This will allow the cut-off low in the SE to move northward quicker than earlier anticipated.
This is good news for those in the Carolinas who have endured over 48 hours of heavy rain, high winds, and coastal flooding, but now it is our turn, and the timing is not to the joy of most in the New England region. Rain is already threatening the south coast and will likely move ashore by late morning. On radar, this storm is quite menacing. An expanse of heavy rain extends from NC up into NJ. If this were a snow storm, it would be comparative to some of the worst.

Well, in any case, Florida had a snow storm for themselves. North of Orlando reported snow flurries yesterday! Wind chill advisories were in effect for the temperatures around 40 and 10mph winds bringing a windchill into the 30s. For us by the way, we need -15 for a wind chill advisory.



For more radar and satellite images to track the storm consult Keene Weather's
continuously updating radar and satellite page

As it is, SW NH and NW MA may have to endure some wintry precipitation at the start of the storm. Temperatures the past few days have remained below 45 in the Keene area with lows down to around 20. The ground is nearing freezing and with cold high pressure still having an influence on the region, precipitation may start as a period of sleet and freezing rain through Thanksgiving morning. This could be very dangerous for Thanksgiving travelers and I urge those who do have to go out Thanksgiving morning to take it slow.

Temperatures today will rise a bit higher than yesterday but not by very much as cloud cover will reduce the amount of solar heating that we get. Highs will range in the M-U 40s. Lows tonight will also be kept from going too far as cloud cover and precipitation move in, keeping temperatures to the upper 20s to near 30.



Precipitation is scheduled to arrive in Keene around 2am in the form of sleet or freezing rain. Precipitation will continue through Thanksgiving, mixing with and changing to all rain by the late morning hours. While significant icing is not expected, I cannot rule out glaze on particularly colder surfaces. Periods of rain will continue into Thursday night, heavy at times before 6pm. One nice thing about a faster moving storm is it will likely be out of our hair a lot faster than previously thought. Rain will taper off, possibly as another period of freezing rain by 3am Friday. Total rainfall is currently projected at .5 to 1 inch however, depending on the forward speed and intensity of the storm, upwards of 2 inches are not out of the question. This may result in some poor-drainage street flooding during especially heavy downpours.

I will start up the storm updates this afternoon as we track the rain into the region.

In the long term, skies will clear out Friday afternoon behind the storm and temperatures will warm into the upper 40s to near 50. Cooler air will move in as high pressure takes hold of our weather. This will set the stage for another chance for wintry precipitation come Monday into Tuesday. More later on this potential and in the winter weather outlook page.