IT'S TIME TO TALK TURKEY PILGRIM...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? PILGRIMS!

Well, it's Thanksgiving once again and I'm happy to report the weather will be improving significantly as the day unfolds and our big wet storm system trudges off to the northeast. It has proven to be a soaker for essentially all of my area with 1-2" rain totals over the past 48 hours (including 1-3" of snow at the beginning of the event). These are the Doppler precipitation estimates since Monday afternoon. That's a very wet system for so late in November.

At 500mb you can see the little bowling ball (energy) that generated the storm. This thing took a perfect track for heavy snow in my area but the lack of cold air has killed that possibility. It's a shame to waste an opportunity like that!

If you notice to the west, clearing is approaching the Iowa border and we should see skies break for some sunshine Thursday, especially in the afternoon. That allows highs to reach into the upper 40s to low 50s. That's about 4-6 degrees above normal.

The dry and relatively pleasant weather will be with us through much of Sunday before a strong cold front barrels through later in the day. At that point the winds will increase and the temperatures will tumble. However, the important issue for holiday travelers is outside of some fog potential early Thursday, the rest of the period is dry and uneventful!

The next storm, which has the potential to be a strong one still looks to be just east of my area Monday and Tuesday of next week. Heavy precipitation is likely from eastern Illinois into much of the Ohio Valley and eastern Great Lakes.

Here's what the EURO has for total precipitation from that storm.

Again, the EURO is largely inflated on its snow totals but as you can see, it drops a bunch of snow from near Chicago to points east. The GFS is further east with the snow band (and lighter). Where the phasing occurs and when, will determine the location and overall wintry impacts from this storm. It's still too early to know that accurately but this will be an intriguing system to watch the next 5-6 days, especially just to my east.

All right, I have to wrap it up as I'm in charge of stuffing . My mom has a fantastic recipe and since I can't be with her this year, if I want to enjoy it, I have to make it. It's a risk worth taking. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving everybody.

Last but not least, I wanted to extend a reminder that pre-sales continues for my new book Derecho 911, Iowa's Inland Hurricane. I've got a limited edition deal going on now. Order by December 15th and get yours by Christmas. It's a thoughtful gift from Santa that will be appreciated by that hard to buy for individual. The book is a coffee table style and color with more than 100 pictures, images, and graphics that I guarantee is entertaining, well researched, and very informative. For more information or to get a copy go to derechobook.com Thanks!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING, HERE'S A GIFT IDEA.

There's no time like the presnt to order your copy of Derecho 911, Iowa's Inland Hurricane. You can get the inside scoop on this "superstorm" (now the costliest storm in U.S. history) in my soon to be released new book. Save by ordering early and taking advantage of our LIMITED TIME OFFER for the low price of $25.95. It's a coffee table style book that's color and includes more than 100 pictures, graphics, and diagrams. It's intensely researched and will be the authoritative account of this remarkable Iowa storm. It will make a perfect Christmas gift for that hard to buy for person as long as you order by December 15th. For more information or to get your autographed copy click the link below. Thanks!