CDC recommends against traveling for Thanksgiving 0:45
(CNN) -
Thanksgiving is generally considered the beginning of the holiday season in America, with millions of people traveling to see their families and close friends.
However, as has been the trend in 2020, this Christmas season will be different as the nation adjusts to the worsening covid-19 pandemic.
"As cases continue to grow rapidly in the United States, the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to do it at home with the people you live with," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Diseases (CDC) after updating its guidelines on holiday celebrations and small gatherings.
Due to warnings from government and health officials, the American Automobile Association (AAA) expects a drop in travel of at least 10%, which would be the biggest trip reduction in a year since the Great Recession in 2008.
Of the nearly 50 million people expected to travel this week despite health warnings, 95% are expected to travel by car, AAA said.
Other modes of travel, such as air, train and bus, are expected to see steep drops from last year, AAA said.
Regardless of the mode of transportation, any trip away from home this year is risky.
«Traveling can increase your chances of contracting and spreading Covid-19.
Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year, "warns the CDC.
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For those who heed health warnings and plan a virtual or outdoor celebration, the next question is: will Mother Nature cooperate with your vacation plans?
LOOK
: "Do not travel during Thanksgiving": the recommendation of the CDC in the US
Completing the weekend
On Sunday morning, the main focus will be a line of downpours stretching from Detroit to Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rain is the main concern south of Toledo, Ohio.
For those north of that point, there will be a mix of rain / snow.
By Sunday afternoon, the rains are moving east with the main focus between Syracuse, New York and Nashville.
On Sunday night, the rains will affect areas from Burlington, Vermont, to Atlanta.
On Monday, the main focus of the rains will be from Caribou, Maine, to Raleigh, North Carolina.
The good news is that overall rain and snow accumulations are expected to be low.
Through Monday, rain should peak at one inch or less in most places.
The accumulation of snowfall will be primarily an inch or less as it will mix with rain in many places.
Higher elevations in the Green and White Mountains, as well as northern Maine, could receive a little more snow, with 5-10 centimeters possible.
People in Florida will also want to watch out for some rains, mainly in the eastern half of the state.
Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami have little chance of rain on Sunday before drying out for the rest of next week.
The eastern United States is not the only area facing inclement weather as the weekend ends.
“On Sunday, several fronts will move towards the Pacific Northwest.
The systems will produce rain over parts of the northwest on Sunday afternoon, ”says the Weather Prediction Center.
"As precipitation moves inland, snow will develop at higher elevations and rain at lower elevation over the interior of the Northwest."
The central Rocky Mountain and southern plains areas will also see the possibility of rain later Sunday through Monday, including Salt Lake City.
The next storm moves
By Tuesday and Wednesday, the system that was in the Pacific Northwest over the weekend will move to the Central Plains and Midwest.
But the Pacific Northwest will once again face inclement weather, as numerous disturbances move across the region early next week during the holiday period.
November is often the gloomiest time of year in the Northwest, and the region will live up to those soggy forecasts this week.
Seattle and Portland, Oregon have rain chances in the forecast every day from Sunday to Wednesday.
Denver will also see some rain on Tuesday, but most of the time it will be in the form of snow.
Temperatures there will see a big drop from highs around 15 degrees Celsius on Monday to mid-4 degrees on Tuesday.
For the southern plains, not only will it rain but thunderstorms are also expected in Oklahoma City, Dallas and Wichita, Kansas on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, the same system will be focused from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast.
The biggest impacts will likely be for cities like Cleveland, Chicago, Atlanta, Memphis, Tennessee, and Little Rock, Arkansas.
The heaviest rain will be from Indianapolis to Little Rock, where 2.5 to 7 centimeters is possible.
Interstates 65, 70, and 75 are likely to have heavy rains at times.
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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is still scheduled to begin at 9:00 am in New York City, and while much of this year's show is expected to be a "made for television" performance, balloons giant and decorative floats will be featured.
For those who are participating in the parade locally, temperatures are forecast to hover around 10 degrees Celsius during the early hours of the morning with a forecast of maximum temperatures around 10 degrees.
There is also the possibility of scattered showers that morning, but the winds are expected to remain light, between 8 and 16 km / h.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has weathered much colder, windier, and wetter conditions in the past, so this year's weather forecast shouldn't be a big concern for live performances.
Will Mother Nature Cooperate With Your Thanksgiving Outdoors?
The CDC said a small outdoor gathering is allowed, but will the weather cooperate?
In many areas, the answer is yes.
The upper Midwest and the desert southwest will be two of the most promising places for dry weather.
Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Green Bay, Wisconsin will have a dry and mild Thanksgiving.
Even Chicago, which will start out cloudy, ends up very sunny with temperatures several degrees above normal in the afternoon.
It's a different story from Maine to Florida, where rain is scheduled for Thursday.
But it will not be a total wash and the temperatures will be between 5 and 15 degrees above normal.
The best opportunities for a white Thanksgiving Day are in Maine, where there will be "an inch or more of snow on the ground 61% of the time on Thanksgiving morning," the National Weather Service office said. in Caribou.
As of now, Caribou, Bangor and Augusta have a mixed rain / snow forecast for Thursday.
In those cities, along with western places like Denver and Cheyenne, Wyoming, which also have a chance to see snow on Thursday, it may be best to stay indoors and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from the comfort of your warm sofa.
Thanksgiving
