Black Friday Shoppers Could Face Nasty Weather

For people planning on camping out for Black Friday specials next week, the potential for nasty weather in the East and Northwest may have some changing their plans.

Many people could be dealing with either a chilly, soaking rain or an all-out snowstorm.

Over the eastern part of the country, there are some indications that a storm system will take shape over the Midwest sometime Wednesday into Thanksgiving Day before heading eastward Thursday night into Friday.

While it is still too early to map out the details of this system, including track and timing, we know that if it does form, it will bring rain to areas south and east of its center, while snow falls to its north and west.

Current indications show that it would be people from the Great Lakes into the Northeast who would have to watch for possible snow with this system. Meanwhile, areas from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the mid-Atlantic are where rain would be most likely Thursday night into Friday.

Another part of the country where people's Black Friday plans may be foiled is the Pacific Northwest. While the West is generally expected to dry out later Wednesday into Thursday of next week, there is the potential for a storm system to spread rain and mountain snow into Washington and Oregon and perhaps also the northern Rockies Thursday night into Black Friday.

This could mean rain for people trying to shop in Seattle and Portland and snow for areas farther inland.

Since Pacific storm systems often end up moving into the West Coast slower than expected, however, there is a chance this one may hold off until after Black Friday.

Be sure to keep checking back with AccuWeather.com daily for updates on the weather expected across the nation for Thanksgiving week travel and specifically for Black Friday.

By Heather Buchman, Meteorologist