Thanksgiving travel: Rain and wind Tuesday night could cause rough travel, airport delays

Depending on when you're traveling this holiday week, it could be messy and slow. Just in time for the Thanksgiving travel to kick into high gear Tuesday afternoon, heavy rain and winds will begin moving into the tri-state.

Rain is likely to arrive by Tuesday evening for the afternoon commute with the heaviest rain occurring late Tuesday night and through early morning.

There may be some snowflakes mixing in at the onset far north and west in Pike and Sullivan counties, but will quickly change to rain in the area.

The good news: most of the rain is out of our area by 7 a.m. Wednesday. When all is said and done, most of the tristate will see one to two inches of rain, with three inches possible in localized bursts.

It is important to note: Before impacts start in the NYC area and the northeast, the storm will hit much of the Midwest — so if your Thanksgiving destination is anywhere from Chicago to Atlanta to D.C., travel on Tuesday will likely be impacted. But everywhere south and west should clear out for Wednesday. New England will still be feeling effects of the storm through Wednesday.

Coastal flood advisories are posted for New York City, Long Island, and coastal Connecticut for Wednesday morning's high tides, especially with the chance that strong northeast winds will drive up water levels.

Winds will continue into Wednesday morning before winding down. They could be gusty at times getting up to 40 to 50 mph on the eastern end of Long Island.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has urged caution for the extreme weather that is forecasted, especially for western and northern portions of the state.

"I just want to remind everybody to be vigilant. We're expecting freezing rain, snow accumulations, high winds – everything you would not want to see as you're heading out for your holiday travels. But the warnings are out there, and I'm asking everyone to heed them at this time," Gov. Hochul said.

NYC Emergency Management issued a travel advisory for Tuesday through Wednesday amid the wet and windy conditions, warning of the potential for minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

What is the Thanksgiving Day weather?

The weather clears up in perfect time for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It will start off breezy and chilly but as of now, it appears the winds will be below the threshold for the balloons and the parade should go off as planned.

The balloons are not able to fly with sustained winds of 24 mph or wind gusts of 35 mph. Neither of those appear to be the case at the moment, with winds looking like they'll be below 15 mph. Make sure you bundle up if you're heading to the parade.

What will the weather be on Black Friday?

And while Black Friday isn't quite what it used to be in terms of in-person shopping, those venturing out for deals that day should bundle up as well.

Overnight and early morning highs likely below freezing, and it will only reach the low 40s by the afternoon. Sounds like a good day to stay home and eat some leftovers.

The Jets will be taking on the Dolphins Friday afternoon at MetLife and the weather looks clear but cool.

Showers could return to the area on Sunday but that's far from a certainty.

Right now, the Patriots at Giants game at MetLife Stadium Sunday afternoon is looking good with seasonably chilly temps.

What are the coldest and warmest Thanksgivings on record in New York City?

In 1933, New York's Central Park faced its warmest Thanksgiving Day on record at 69 degrees. In 1871, it was 15 degrees. Fortunately, it has not been that cold since.

Has it ever snowed on Thanksgiving in New York City?

While not common, it has snowed on Thanksgiving Day before in New York City. In 1989, it actually snowed more than four inches in Central Park on Thanksgiving.