Rainy, icy weather to slow travel in central US on Black Friday

By Faith Eherts, AccuWeather meteorologist

November 21, 2018, 5:42:46 PM EST

After cleaning up after Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, millions of people across America will turn their attention to Black Friday shopping.

Patchy fog and freezing drizzle may pose some hazards for motorists and pedestrians over part of the Upper Midwest during Thanksgiving Day.

The spotty ice may not be the last wintry concern for the holiday weekend.

Over 164 million Americans are planning to go shopping over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Black Friday is expected to be the busiest day of the holiday weekend, as the NRF survey found that around 116 million will hit the stores or shop online.

In the central United States, anyone planning to take advantage of in-store deals will need to prepare to contend with wet conditions.

"Rain will develop across the south-central Plains on Thursday night and rapidly expand eastward into Black Friday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Kyle Elliott. 

So while those daring to head out on Thursday evening can leave the umbrella at home, "shoppers and motorists heading out early on Friday for doorbuster sales may face wet roadways from southeastern Texas northward into western Missouri and Iowa," he said.

Rain jackets and waterproof shoes will be appreciated as shoppers travel from their vehicles to the stores in damp conditions. Umbrellas may be needed to ensure that gifts and treats make it safely across rainy parking lots.

"The rain will become heavier as Black Friday progresses, reaching western parts of the Tennessee River Valley by sunset," Elliott said. "Most places will only receive one half to one inch of rain, but this will still be enough to lead to standing water on roadways and flooding of low-lying and poor drainage areas."

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Farther north, water on the roads will combine with chilly weather to create a completely different hazard to motorists.

"Pockets of freezing drizzle can lead to icy patches on roadways, especially on bridges and overpasses, from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into northern Minnesota on Friday morning," Elliott warned.

"Shoppers should be alert for slick spots in parking lots and take caution so as to avoid slipping, falling and potential injury," Elliott added.

Additionally, anyone driving to their shopping destinations will need to travel with extreme caution as black ice is nearly impossible to spot on roadways, especially at night.

Download the free AccuWeather app to stay up to date on the latest warnings and advisories in your area.

The storm on Black Friday will not be the only storm to affect the region over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Second storm this weekend to early next week may be very disruptive

A second and potentially stronger storm is forecast to push across the Rockies on Saturday with locally heavy snow. That same storm is expected to reorganize over the Plains on Sunday.

"Depending on how quickly that storm organizes, there may be a swath of heavy snow and increasing wind from parts of the central Plains to a portion of the Great Lakes region spanning Sunday to Monday," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

"Such a storm may hit the airport hubs of Kansas City, Missouri; Omaha, Nebraska; Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit and create difficult or deteriorating road conditions along the Interstate 29, 35, 70, 80, 90 and 94 corridors," Sosnowski said.

Where the boundary of the rain and snow sets up will be dependent on the track of the storm.

As cold air circulates around the storm, snow showers may reach all the way to the middle Mississippi and Ohio Valleys on Monday.

Both of the storms will swing into the eastern part of the nation this weekend to early next week.

So despite a relatively easy time for travelers getting to their Thanksgiving destination, people heading home over the weekend or getting back into the swing of work or school by Monday may face some challenges.