AccuWeather.com

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

Nov 11, 2010; 2:15 AM ET

Share |

The weather may be going cold turkey for Thanksgiving week. (Photo by Photos.com)

Thanksgiving week for much of the U.S. is looking ice cold as one or more blasts of air spill southward out of the Arctic.

It appears the frigid air will sweep from the northern Rockies and Plains all the way to the Appalachians and into much of the South.

The progressive cold and snow building over the northern Rockies now through the middle of November are only the hors d'oeuvres of what may be a smorgasbord of cold air and wintry conditions starting the weekend before Thanksgiving.

The only places that may be spared the arctic cold at its full extent may be Southern California, the deserts, South Texas and South Florida.

The nasty cold may be preceded by a blizzard from Montana to Colorado during the Friday through Sunday period before Thanksgiving.

It is conceivable the snow could cause major travel disruptions for interstate highways including: 70, 80 and 90 during that weekend.

There is the potential for flight delays at Denver's International Airport, at least for part of that weekend.

Stay tuned for updates!

Plunging temperatures from the northern Rockies spreading to the northern and central Plains and into the Midwest could lead to a freeze-up with icy roadway conditions and perhaps delays at other major airport hubs including: Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

The first batch of arctic air would reach the Appalachians and to some extent the Atlantic Seaboard during the first part of Thanksgiving week.

Over much of the area from the northern Rockies to the Appalachians, the abrupt change to cold weather would be accompanied by gusty winds, making it painful to be outdoors for a length of time.

The magnitude of the cold could be so severe from the northern Rockies to the Upper Midwest that actual temperature readings may plunge below zero, let alone AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures.

AccuWeather.com first warned you about the potential for a November arctic blast early this week.

If it is any consolation, it appears at least the cold will have already settled and snow will have departed on the big travel day: Wednesday of Thanksgiving week.

However, there will still likely be heavy lake-effect snow consequences in the traditional areas from New York to Michigan, as well as spotty snow along the Rockies.

Rain and perhaps the associated fog may cause travel delays in part of the South.

Exactly how the weather maps are set on the Thanksgiving table remains to be seen, as it is the weather and forecasts are subject to change as the time draws near.

Keep checking in at AccuWeather.com for more details and any adjustments of the cold and snow in the coming days.