Snow Across the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and Northeast; Unsettled Weather in the West

Light to moderate snow will continue into Saturday over the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and Northeast. This weekend into next week, a series of atmospheric rivers will bring gusty winds, periods of heavy rain, and mountain snow to northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Colder temperatures are in store for the weekend from the Great Lakes to East Coast. Read More >

Thanksgiving

PERIOD OF RECORD: 153 YEARS (1871 - 2023)

Thanksgiving occurs on the fourth Thursday in November. Prior to 1942 Thanksgiving was routinely celebrated on the last Thursday of November. The highest temperature recorded on Thanksgiving is 68F degrees on November 26th 1896. The lowest the mercury has fallen to on Thanksgiving is 9F on November 22nd 2018. The high temperature averages 44F degrees, and the low 31F degrees on Thanksgiving.

The greatest amount of snow on Thanksgiving occurred November 27th, 1952 when 10.3 inches of snow was recorded at the Buffalo airport. Most portions of the city of Buffalo received between 6 and 10 inches of snow.

On Thanksgiving Day 1956, a lake effect snowstorm hit central Erie County to Wyoming County and locations southward. Up to four feet of snow was measured in Springville, NY. At the Buffalo airport, just a trace of snow occurred from the lake effect snow event.

Following a lake effect snow event, a remaining 20 inches of snow on the ground Thanksgiving morning, the 23rd of November 2000 was the greatest amount of snow on the ground for a Thanksgiving.

An early season frigid airmass dropped across the Great Lakes for Thanksgiving of 2018. The temperature under clear skies dropped to 9F degrees before midnight, this after only registering a high of 20F during the day.

Temperature (F) Data

Highest	68	1896
Lowest	9	2018
Average High	44
Average Low	31

Precipitation Records

Greatest Precipitation

0.96"

1968

Almanac Data for Recent Thanksgivings

Year	Date	High	Low	Precip	Snow
1980	27th	38	27	0.17	1.2
1981	26th	51	28	0.23	0.0
1982	25th	38	29	0.00	0.0
1983	24th	62	34	T	0.0
1984	22nd	33	17	0.00	0.0

1985	28th	32	30	0.44	4.3
1986	27th	45	33	0.01	0.0
1987	26th	39	32	0.07	0.0
1988	24th	41	25	0.00	0.0
1989	23rd	24	16	T	T

1990	22nd	59	48	0.50	0.0
1991	28th	44	32	0.58	0.1
1992	26th	55	20	0.08	0.0
1993	25th	31	21	T	T
1994	24th	47	23	T	T

1995	23rd	36	27	0.01	0.4
1996	28th	28	15	0.05	1.0
1997	27th	44	33	T	0.0
1998	26th	49	39	0.23	0.0
1999	25th	46	38	0.01	0.0

2000	23rd	24	12	T	T
2001	22nd	52	35	0.00	0.0
2002	28th	32	21	T	T
2003	27th	44	32	0.31	0.0
2004	25th	41	28	0.12	T

2005	24th	34	14	0.13	2.5
2006	23rd	50	27	0.00	0.0
2007	22nd	39	26	0.68	0.2
2008	27th	37	24	0.00	0.0
2009	26th	51	40	0.09	0.0

2010	25th	45	31	0.24	0.0
2011	24th	47	32	0.00	0.0
2012	22nd	58	33	0.00	0.0
2013	28th	27	18	0.07	2.4
2014	27th	35	28	0.10	2.0

2015	26th	62	42	0.00	0.0
2016	24th	45	34	0.05	T
2017	23rd	38	26	T	T
2018	22nd	20	9	T	T
2019	28th	42	30	0.05	T

2020	26th	54	47	0.13	0.0
2021	25th	48	42	0.24	0.0
2022	24th	50	29	0.00	0.0
2023	23rd	44	35	0.00	0.0
2024	28th