It’s the best day of the year. Family festivities are in full swing. The wine is uncorked. The spread is a sight to behold, complete with rosemary dusted turkey legs, whipped mashed potatoes topped with a savory turkey-roux gravy, homemade cranberry deliciousness, and of course, a fine array of decadent pies of all flavors. It’s Thanksgiving, and nothing can spoil such a marvelous afternoon feast. Except for a Thanksgiving day nor’easter, of course.

No. It can’t be true. How could Mother Nature punish us so? We don’t know, but things are looking grim. After the warm front that breezed through the northeast towards the end of last week, this week will kick things off with a brutal cold front as the wind chill factor dips temperatures into single digits. Sunday with barely break freezing and host a 20-25 mph northwest wind. 

And that brings us to Wednesday, also known as the day before Thanksgiving. It’s possibly the biggest travel day of the year, and to make an even greater mess of things, the possibility of the season’s first nor’easter looms. As early weather reports indicate, the storm will cruise up the East Coast sometime Wednesday, with rain near the coast and snow inland and at higher elevations.

There are still several days for the forecast to work out the kinks, but start planning ahead. Perhaps leave a day early for your Thanksgiving destination. Stock up on firewood so you can sit by roaring flames with a belly full of fine edibles and a glass full of wine. Pack plenty of sweaters, preferably extra large to house your expanding stomach. But most importantly, put a smile on your face and enjoy the wonderful holiday despite the wintery weather outside. It’s a day of thanks.