Thanksgiving Week Weather Map Shows Forecast for Each State

An outlook shared by the National Weather Service (NWS) shows what temperatures the U.S. can expect during Thanksgiving week.

Why It Matters

The map—for the November 26-30 period—offers a chance to plan ahead for the holiday week, with the American Automobile Association (AAA) projecting that nearly 82 million people will travel up to 50 miles from home from November 25 to December 1.

What To Know

The central U.S. may experience cooler-than-average temperatures during Thanksgiving week, while parts of the West and Florida are likely to run warmer than normal, the NWS said in a social media post on Saturday.

“La Nina, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), and the potential for a rare November Sudden Stratospheric Warming event (you’re likely to have heard of this referred to as the “polar vortex”) may combine to drive winter-like conditions across much of the U.S. late November into early December,” the agency said.

“What does this translate to in terms of temperatures next week? Below-normal temperatures are favored for the Central and Northern U.S., including northern parts of the Pacific Northwest, the Great Plains, parts of Texas, and the interior Mid-Atlantic,” said the NWS. “Below-normal temperatures may start as early as November 25, with spatial coverage and confidence increasing during the Nov 26-30 period,” it added.

“The MJO is a tropical disturbance that propagates eastward around the global tropics with a cycle on the order of 30-60 days,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains.

It affects rainfall, atmospheric circulation, and surface temperatures across the tropics and subtropics. While the MJO doesn’t cause El Nino or La Nina, NOAA notes that it can influence how quickly these events develop and how strong they become.

As for La Nina, this is the cool phase of a natural, recurring climate cycle known as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. The warm phase is El Nino.

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) previously said that La Nina conditions are expected to remain weak, thus less likely to result in the typical impacts, which during the winter months include drier conditions for more southern regions and wetter conditions for parts of the Midwest and Northwest.

What People Are Saying

The National Weather Service said in a post on X, Friday: “Are you one of the 80+ million planning to travel for Thanksgiving this year? Whether you are driving or flying, be sure to add ‘check the weather forecast at http://weather.gov’ to your to-do list!

“While we can’t control the weather, it can be a deciding factor in our travel plans (especially if you are driving). Plan accordingly and travel safe!”

CPC meteorologist Scott Handel told Newsweek previously: “We are currently in a La Nina Advisory, and the increased precipitation that we have seen thus far this month across the Pacific Northwest and the dryness across the Lower and Middle Mississippi Valley, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic are consistent (on average) with what has occurred during previous La Nina this time of year.

“However, other factors, such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation, can and often do have a heavier influence. The MJO will likely usher in a large-scale pattern change, later this month and into December, including a potential significant cold air outbreak across the West and Northern Plains.”