Thanksgiving weather report for NYC area: rain and chilly temperatures

With the historic drought conditions the New York region has been facing lately, this Thanksgiving will come with one more thing to be grateful for: rain.

Aside from a brief period of rain on Tuesday, showers should start in earnest on Wednesday night and continue into Thursday morning, sprinkling anywhere from half an inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain across New York City before tapering off on Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service. Temperature highs will be in the low 50s, but with the rain and an expected cold front, it’ll feel chillier into the weekend.

“There are some chances for snow far in the interior, but as far as New York City goes, it’s looking like just a wet, rainy forecast,” said NWS meteorologist Bryan Ramsey.

It’s less welcome news for spectators and participants in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which kicks off at 77th Street and Central Park West on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. and runs until noon. The parade’s giant balloons, though, are coated with waterproof material.

Unsettled weather continues this week and helps the drought. Unfortunately, that comes with a wet Thanksgiving. A cold front that moves through Tue, with between a 1/10" -1/3" of rain. higher amounts expected for Thanksgiving-Fri as low pressure moves through. #NYwx #NJwx #CTwx pic.twitter.com/FYu4GYVkyg

— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) November 26, 2024

While the sun should be back out on Friday, temperatures are expected to plunge over the weekend. Saturday will have a high of 40 degrees, and Sunday’s high will barely reach 40, NWS says. Lows for both nights will be below freezing, in the upper 20s to low 30s.

Ramsey said the rain will help the metro area keep climbing out of the drought conditions that have plagued residents for the last several weeks, but on its own it still won’t be enough to make up for so many inches of lost precipitation this fall.

“Even if you see a couple inches, if you're in a drought, you're going to need successive rain events to really make a difference,” he said. “We got a frontal system approaching, which will bring showers in New York City within the next couple hours [on Tuesday], and then we’ve got the Thanksgiving system. So it's several rain events on top of each other and it does add up and help.”

Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference on Tuesday said the drought warning the city is under remains in effect despite recent rainfall.

"We need a heck of a lot more rain than what we saw, and not only rain down here but rain upstate,” he said, adding that open flames are still suspended in city parks and New Yorkers are being asked to conserve water.

This story has been updated with comment from Mayor Eric Adams.