Thanksgiving Rain Forecast Could Snarl Travel

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The consensus is rapidly building that after weeks of near record dryness, fire season-ending rain will arrive by the middle of next week. The question now is, how much will fall, and how will it impact the busy Thanksgiving travel period? Well it is early, but with forecast models coming into better agreement, we can begin to take a look at what the impacts may be.

By next Tuesday, a deep trough is forecast to drop south along the California coast.

The European forecast model shows the first storm arriving Tuesday night.

The GFS model shows it too, but slightly less wet.

By the weekend, rain could range from a third to a full inch across the North Bay.

All of this is good news for skiers and snowboarders, as the Sierra is forecast to get its first big snow.

This is the Euro forecast, the others are similar. These are cold storms, so snow levels will be low.

For travelers, the day before Thanksgiving will most likely be showery and wet, and another storm (Canadian Model) or just showers (other models) could continue to impact our area on Thanksgiving Day.

So after a long wait, be prepared to allow extra time for travel and be aware that, at this point, rain could fall anytime during the four day Holiday weekend.

As the rain gets closer, we should be able to fine tune the details.