Meteorologist Dan Tomaso says the stretch around Thanksgiving is living up to its reputation as one of the most active weather periods of the year. Colder air is finally taking hold, and while central Pennsylvania will dodge the season’s first meaningful snow, travelers heading west or north should prepare for wintry conditions. “This is when we start to see more of an impact from colder weather,” Tomaso said. “Oftentimes our first period of snow showers is in late November and early December.”
A storm moving through Tuesday into Wednesday brings mostly rain locally, but Tomaso warns that areas near the Great Lakes could see lake-effect snow by Wednesday night into early Thursday. “If you’re traveling into northern Illinois, northern Indiana, northern Ohio, into northwestern Pennsylvania, it looks like it’s gonna turn cold enough… that some lake effect snow really starts to kick in,” he said. While central Pennsylvania avoids the snow, temperatures will plunge for Black Friday, with highs in the upper 30s to low 40s. “If you’re looking for those TV deals, you might want to bundle up if you’re waiting in line,” Tomaso joked.
Colder weather sticks around through the weekend, including the start of deer rifle season. Tomaso expects “thirties for Friday… thirties for the most part Saturday into Sunday,” before another system brings steady rain Sunday afternoon into Sunday night, with wet snow possible farther north. The overall pattern, he said, is a clear shift toward winter. “We’re kind of adjusting to the idea that winter’s right around the corner.”
Even into next week, temperatures won’t rebound much. “It doesn’t really warm up,” Tomaso said. Early December looks locked into the 30s and 40s, with chances for cold rain and even some wet snowflakes. That raised the inevitable question: will we see a white Christmas? Tomaso was cautious. “In this area it’s usually less than a twenty percent chance,” he said, noting that December typically brings more cold rain than snow. But with colder-than-normal early December temperatures, he says there will be “snow chances—there’s no doubt,” even if a classic white Christmas remains unlikely.
