No one dreams of a white Thanksgiving, but back-to-back snowstorms could make that a reality for millions across the Northeast.
The latest snowstorm created messy road conditions Tuesday across much of New England, and the wintry outlook continues throughout the week. The forecast calls for snowsqualls Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year, and extreme cold and blustery conditions on Thanksgiving Day.
Tuesday’s snowstorm made for a tricky morning commute in much of the region, with several spinouts and minor accidents reported throughout New Hampshire. In Sutton, a tractor tailer jacknifed on the southbound side of Interstate 89, forcing the closure of one lane while crews worked to remove the vehicle from the side of the highway.
Slick driving conditions also forced dozens of school districts in the state either closed for the day, or delayed start times. In Penacook, Merrimack Valley School District canceled classes for the day, while the Concord School District kept its regular schedule.
With Thanksgiving break about to begin, there’s no warm spell in the forecast. Holiday highs are expected to be in the teens, with subzero wind chills, across northern New England.
It may be the coldest Thanksgiving on record in New York City, with temperatures in the 20s and winds gusting as high as 35 mph, according to the National Weather Service. That may hamper the balloons in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which aren’t permitted to fly if the wind gusts are more than 35 mph. The last time the balloons were grounded was in 1971.
“Thanksgiving morning is going to hurt,” tweeted weather watcher Mike Haggett in Maine.
On Tuesday, snow continued to pile up on top of leaves that many people hadn’t finished raking throughout the region. Up to 6 inches of snow was expected across New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and parts of Massachusetts.
The snowstorm will be followed by brief-but-powerful snowsqualls Wednesday across a wide swath of the Northeast, causing the potential for isolated travel problems as people head to their Thanksgiving destinations, according to NWS meteorologist Andy Pohl.
Then the temperatures will plummet, paving the way for potential record cold on Thanksgiving day, Pohl said.
Steve Roy, of Biddeford, Maine, said he’s looking forward to his first White Christmas.
“A novelty is good right now,” he said while trudging through the snow in Portland. “After five of these, maybe I’ll have a different opinion.”
But not everyone is looking forward to it.
“There are some Christmases where it’s not white yet,” Portland attorney Justin LeBlanc said. “It is what it is.”