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'Thanksgiving Eve' regional traveling forecast: What to watch for in the west


Thankfully, the weather looks to be playing nice for holiday travelers this year, as mild air takes over across much of the west. That doesn't mean you won't run into wet roads if you're driving to get to grandmother's house, but the good news is: snow and dangerous travel conditions will be hard to come by.
Thankfully, the weather looks to be playing nice for holiday travelers this year, as mild air takes over across much of the west. That doesn't mean you won't run into wet roads if you're driving to get to grandmother's house, but the good news is: snow and dangerous travel conditions will be hard to come by.
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Wednesday, or the day before Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving Eve?) is one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Thankfully, the weather looks to be playing nice for holiday travelers this year, as mild air takes over across much of the west. That doesn't mean you won't run into wet roads if you're driving to get to grandmother's house, but the good news is: snow and dangerous travel conditions will be hard to come by.

Where you'll need the windshield wipers

Our neighboring states of Oregon and Washington are known to 'hog' a lot of the wet weather, and if there's one 'bull's-eye' for rain this holiday week and weekend... (yep, you guessed it)...look west. There will be a few pushes of moisture moving through Oregon, Washington and northern Idaho over the next couple of days, likely bringing wet weather (and wet roads) to the Blue Mountains of Oregon and the Cascades. It will be showery to wet in northern Idaho and eastern Washington, too.

MAP KEY (above)

  • Left picture: Wednesday afternoon
  • Top right picture: Thursday afternoon (Thanksgiving)
  • Bottom right picture: Friday afternoon

If you're heading to:

Southern Idaho, Nevada or Utah: Things look relatively quiet, meaning you shouldn't run into any problems on the roads. Temperatures will be in the 60's in places like Salt Lake and Reno, with relatively dry conditions expected across the region.

Northern California: Watch for periods of rain depending on your destination, as the western edge of the state looks to be in the line of fire for some showers today and tomorrow.

Wyoming: One area to watch will be the mountain pass(es) in and around western Wyoming, where snow is still possible through the higher elevations. Rain and snow showers are likely in this region through at least Friday. However, in areas like Jackson Hole, temperatures will be too warm for snow.

Oregon, Washington, or northern Idaho: See first paragraph

When could we see snow in the Gem State again?

It's tough to pinpoint, but the central mountains could see snow at the highest elevations beginning later Friday moving into Saturday as temperatures cool slightly and snow levels start to drop. However, it's going to take a storm system will usher in colder air before we can start thinking about snow. Monday (or early next week) has the potential to be showery across the state, and temperatures will finally cool off to a more normal range. With that, we could potentially see light snow accumulations in the mountains if all holds together (stay tuned). Beyond that though, long-range forecast models suggest a drier pattern will take over by the middle of next week. If that happens, even if temperatures are cold enough for snow - we may have to wait a bit before seeing more white pile up in the mountains. (Know that long-range forecasts can change with time)!

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