Holiday guide

Thanksgiving weather and travel guide for Nov. 26, 2025

Published Nov. 26, 2025. Track NOAA and NWS updates, lake-effect snow risks near Cleveland and Detroit, outage prep for Consumers Energy and other utilities, plus quick internet tips before you stream the parade or big game.

Today’s Thanksgiving weather snapshot (Nov. 26, 2025)

  • NOAA and local NWS offices call for a colder-than-average holiday across the Great Lakes, with lake-effect bands primed to flare east of Lake Erie and Lake Michigan.
  • Cleveland: Expect blustery conditions with scattered snow showers through the afternoon; keep an eye on short-fuse lake-effect advisories.
  • Detroit: A clipper is sliding through with light snow and temps in the upper 20s to low 30s—plan for slick side streets during family drives.

Hour-by-hour tools to track the storm

  • Bookmark weather.gov for NWS radar, advisories, and county-level winter storm warnings.
  • Check the high-resolution radar at Weather.com for narrow lake-effect bands that can change travel conditions mile by mile.
  • Use your local TV station’s live radar app and enable alerts for snow squalls, as these can drop visibility in minutes.

Travel and safety checklist for snow and lake-effect bands

  • Leave earlier than planned and share your ETA—slick ramps and bridge decks will slow traffic across Northeast Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
  • Pack a cold-weather kit: blanket, phone charger, ice scraper, gloves, and a small shovel if you’re driving toward lake-effect zones.
  • If visibility drops under a quarter mile, slow down, avoid sudden lane changes, and wait to pass until you’re out of the squall.

Power and heat tips if Consumers Energy or local utilities see outages

  • Charge phones and power banks before dinner; gusty winds can trip lines during snow bursts.
  • If the heat flickers, close doors to one or two main rooms, layer up, and avoid using stoves for space heating.
  • Report outages through your utility app and sign up for text alerts so you know when crews are staged in your area.

Quick Thanksgiving planner for hosts and guests

  • Keep a backup cooking plan if a brief outage hits—finish sides earlier in the day and hold them warm in insulated containers.
  • Ask arriving guests to text when they leave; road times may jump if a snow squall crosses I-75, I-90, or the Shoreway.
  • Queue up board games or a movie for kids in case outdoor plans get iced out by the evening chill.

How to check your internet speed before streaming the game or parade

  • Run a quick test on SwiftSpeedTest to confirm you have at least 10–15 Mbps per HD stream or 25 Mbps for 4K holiday viewing.
  • If speeds sag, move closer to the router, switch to 5 GHz Wi-Fi, or plug in Ethernet near the TV to prevent buffering during kickoff.
  • Pause big downloads and cloud backups while family streams to keep upload and ping stable for video calls with out-of-town relatives.

FAQs people ask before the turkey hits the table

  • Will the snow stick? Ground temps near Cleveland and Detroit hover below freezing, so untreated side streets and rural routes can accumulate.
  • Is a major winter storm coming? No blockbuster blizzard, but a compact system plus lake-effect bands can deliver quick 1–4 inch bursts today.
  • Where should I check alerts? Start with NOAA/NWS, then your local DOT and utility apps for plow status, travel times, and outage maps.