Millions of residents across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes will enjoy a white Thanksgiving this year.
The winter storm, which will move from the Dakotas and Minnesota on Wednesday toward Wisconsin and Michigan, is expected to spread into parts of Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York by Thanksgiving, leaving a fresh layer of ice cream-like snow on the apple pie.
By late Tuesday, some of the earliest winter storm warnings were in effect for areas of North Dakota, Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Michigan, where light to heavy wind-driven snow is expected through Wednesday. Several warnings were upgraded to blizzard conditions in northeastern South Dakota, far northern Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The region could see blizzard conditions with 17 to 30 inches of snow and wind gusts of up to 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service office in Marquette, Michigan.
“Travel should be limited to emergencies only. If travel is necessary, carry a winter survival kit,” the authority advised.
Lake snow warnings were also issued for regions near Lakes Erie and Lake Ontario in New York, where up to 20 inches of snow could fall Thursday through Saturday.
Another storm on Saturday is expected to bring more snow to the central and western states. This system will likely track further south than the first, impacting major cities such as St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit. Dangerous roads and travel delays are possible as people return home after the holidays.
These wintry conditions are driven by an arctic air mass that pushes south from Alaska to the eastern United States. Because of this shift, parts of western Alaska will be more than 20 degrees warmer than normal on Thanksgiving Day and may even experience warmer temperatures than Minneapolis, Chicago and Cleveland.
Thanksgiving 2025
Thanksgiving is a US public holiday that is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November and falls on November 27 this year. It is one of the most treasured holidays in the country, bringing families together to share a festive meal, enjoy time with loved ones and reflect on the blessings in their lives. The tradition has its roots in the first farmers who thanked God for a successful harvest, and over time it has acquired a wider historical and cultural significance.
Holiday travel is also expected to break records this year. According to AAA, an unprecedented 81.8 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home during the week-long period from Tuesday, Nov. 25 to Monday, Dec. 1. This represents an increase of 1.6 million passengers compared to last year, making it the busiest Thanksgiving travel season on record.
