‘Arctic outbreak’ threatens up to 3ft of Thanksgiving snow as 13 states brace for disruption

More than 13 states are braced for Arctic disruption through the coming days as millions of people head out for the holiday.

Thermometers will nosedive below average for the end of autumn while a duo of pressure ‘disturbances’ trigger heavy snow.

A spokesman for the US National Weather Service (NOAA) said: “Heavy snow accumulating between one and three feet are possible over the higher elevations of the southern Sierra, as well as much of the Intermountain West and Central Rockies.

“Snow showers continue across the Great Lakes this week with parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and downwind areas of Lake Ontario picking up between four and eight inches of snow by Thursday morning.

“A pair of mid-level disturbances are expected to phase over the Central US and facilitate an Arctic outbreak across the region Wednesday night into Thanksgiving Thursday.”

The northern half of the US will bear the brunt of the cold while the south stays unseasonably mild.

Weather forecasters warn to pack everything from ‘T-shirts to sweaters’ for Thanksgiving weekend.

Weather Channel meteorologist Robb Ellis said: “Get ready for some big temperature swings for the week of Thanksgiving.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

“By Thanksgiving and to the end of the week, we are expecting temperatures to really drop.

“As a cold front passes, daytime temperatures will drop into the 30Fs, and it is not just the daytime highs, some of the overnight temperatures are into the 20Fs for Thursday and Friday, and even along the Gulf Coast, the temperatures are expected to drop to near 50F.”

Heavy snow will be driven by an ‘atmospheric river’ of rain which hit the Pacific coast before at the weekend.

The huge channel of moisture will clash with freezing winds sweeping the States triggering heavy snow.

Further west, heavy rain will continue to flood regions already hit by torrential downpours this month.

Ellis said: “For the West, we are expecting more rain and snow as an atmospheric river continues to pump moisture off the Pacific, and unfortunately that means some heavy rain and snow for parts of the west.

“We expect wave after wave of scattered showers and some heavier snow for the higher elevations.

“When it comes to rainfall, many locations in California could pick up anything from between a quarter to half and inch, and when it comes to snowfall several inches are expected, and snow could be measured in feet, especially in the higher elevations.”

Jim Dale, US meteorologist for British Weather Services and co-author of ‘Surviving Extreme Weather’, said: “Snow is going to be a potential issue during the transition from autumn into winter, especially over regions including the Great Lakes where we could see several inches as cold air moves in from the Arctic.

“Some places will this week see snow for the first time, and this is going to keep a lot of people on their toes.”