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ALPENA — Residents in northern Michigan will likely need to travel in some snow if they intend to leave home for the Thanksgiving holiday.

In the Alpena area, there is snow, cold and gusty wind forecasted from Wednesday through Monday, with some accumulating snow that could make roads a tad slick.

On Thursday, about one inch of snow is forecasted, but the wind could gust as high as 40 miles an hour, which could cause some light blowing and drifting and limited visibility on roads.

There is only a 25% chance of snow on Friday and Saturday, but the odds increase on Sunday when another inch or more of snow could fall in Alpena and the rest of Northeast Michigan and another inch of snow is expected in the region on Monday.

Snow and cold is not unusual on Thanksgiving, but neither is unseasonably cold or warm weather.

As can be seen in the data below, there has been a wide spectrum of temperatures and precipitation on Thanksgiving in Alpena, but highs have generally been in the 30s and lows in the 20s. It is also quite common for Alpena to see some rain and/or measurable snow on Thanksgiving.

Here is a look at some Thanksgiving weather statistics for Alpena, with data going back to 1916.

Alpena Thanksgiving Climate Extremes (1916-2024)

– Warmest High Temperature: 64 degrees (1941)

– Coldest High Temperature: 18 degrees (1936, 1930)

– Coldest Low Temperature: 0 degrees (1989)

– Warmest Low Temperature: 48 degrees (2015)

– Most Precipitation: 0.70 inches (2014)

– Most Snowfall: 11 inches (2014)

– Greatest Snow Depth: 13 inches (2014)

Alpena Thanksgiving Climate Averages (1916-2024)

– Average High Temperature: 39 degrees

– Average Low Temperature: 25 degrees

– Average Precipitation: 0.08 inches

– Average Snowfall: 0.5 inches

– Average Snow Depth: 1 inch

Although there isn’t a significant chance for any severe weather or heavy snow, the weather should be on par with the averages for Thanksgiving and the balance of the weekend. Drivers are urged by police to use caution when roads become slippery and to slow down and not become distracted.