Black Friday outlook: Icy spots may slow shoppers in Northeast; Rain to soak Northwest

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

November 23,2016; 7:43PM,EST

 

 

While the weather will generally not interfere with Black Friday bargain hunting across much the nation, there will be some trouble spots.
Shoppers may have to negotiate a few patches of wintry weather in the Great Lakes and Northeast, and umbrellas may come in handy in parts of the Northwest and Texas.
Rain, wintry mix may make for slippery spots from Great Lakes to the Northeast
A storm will swing from the Great Lakes to the Northeast with a mixed variety of precipitation ranging from rain to ice and snow on Friday.
During Friday, colder air will invade the storm around the Great Lakes. Patchy rain may switch to a bit of sleet and snow as the day progresses from parts of Wisconsin to Michigan. Temperatures may fall through the 30s F.

Roads and parking lots could be slippery on Friday morning in areas of the northern Plains, Upper Midwest and New England that are free of precipitation but were hit with snow and ice earlier in the week.
The storm will have already left Minneapolis, and only very spotty rain or snow showers will affect the Chicago area. Around Detroit, the greatest chance of slippery spots will be north and west of the city.
As the storm continues farther to the east, it could have some tricks up its sleeve.
Following a batch of rain with some ice and snow into Thursday night, Friday is likely to start with little or no precipitation for early bargain hunters in the Northeast. Temperatures will start the day in the 30s and 40s in most places.
However, a second batch of precipitation, in the form of mostly rain showers, will spread eastward as the day progresses. As a result, Friday afternoon shoppers may want to bring an umbrella in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, D.C.
The storm could strengthen or reorganize upon nearing the Atlantic coast late Friday and Friday night, according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.
"If this strengthening happens quickly, the storm could pull in enough cold air to change rain over the snow in parts of the Northeast during Friday evening," Abrams said.

Wet weather to soak the Northwest
Along the Pacific coast, a potent storm will spread another batch of drenching rain from western Oregon to western Washington.
Shoppers from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, should be prepared for the wet weather. Temperatures will recover to within a few degrees of 50, after a cool start.
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Low visibility and wet roads from the rain will slow down motorists in the coastal Northwest, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
"Any downpours will create more hazards by further reducing visibility and heightening the risk of vehicles hydroplaning when traveling at highway speeds," Pydynowski said.
While the day will start dry around San Francisco and the Bay Area, rain will sweep in during the afternoon.
Eager shoppers pour into the Macy's Herald Square flagship store upon store opening for "Black Friday" 2015 on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015 in New York. (Donald Traill/ AP Images for Macy's)
Downpours may douse some shoppers in Texas
Showers will affect portions Texas on Friday.
While this rain is unlikely to hamper travel, people waiting in lines outside at their favorite stores may want to have an umbrella handy from Austin, Corpus Christi and San Antonio to El Paso.
Dry weather in store for balance of nation
Shoppers over much of the balance of the nation can expect dry weather conditions on Friday. This includes the metro areas of Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, New Orleans, Denver, St. Louis, Atlanta and Miami.
In most areas across the Southern states, a light jacket will suffice for the morning hours, prior to a warm afternoon with highs mainly in the 60s and 70s.
People heading out in the small towns and larger cities over the Intermountain West and northern Plains will have the chilliest conditions of the entire nation to start the day. However, temperatures will moderate from the 20s in the morning to the 40s and 50s during the afternoon.