Historic Thanksgiving Storms

Some of our wildest weather has occurred around Thanksgiving! Here are 5 of the biggest Thanksgiving storms in history—add your own below!

November 24–25, 1950
The Great Appalachian Storm
A storm rapidly deepened as it tracked inland along the eastern slopes of the Appalachians. A wind gust of 83 mph was recorded at Albany, N.Y., the strongest ever, with sustained winds of 50 to 60 mph. Many trees and power lines were blown down across the region, and wind damage was extensive in New York State.

November 24–25, 1971
Thanksgiving Snowstorm
Heavy snow began on the day before Thanksgiving and continued into Thanksgiving Day. Albany, N.Y., picked up 22.5 inches, the greatest November snowfall on record, with amounts up to 30 inches reported elsewhere. This storm turned the busiest travel day of the year into a nightmare, with many stranded travelers not making it to their destinations.

November 25, 1983
The Great Thanksgiving Weekend Blizzard
This storm hit Denver, Colo., and produced 21.5 inches of snow in 37 hours, closing Stapleton Airport for 24 hours. The snow and wind closed interstate highways around Denver.

November 26, 1987
Thanksgiving Day Storm
A storm produced heavy snow in northern New England and upstate New York. Snowfall totals in Maine ranged up to 20 inches at Flagstaff Lake. Totals in New Hampshire reached as high as 18 inches, at Errol. Gales lashed the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. A second storm, over the southern and central Rockies, produced nine inches of snow at Kanosh, Utah, and 13 inches at Divide, Colo., with five inches reported at Denver.

November 23, 1989
Thanksgiving Day Storm
Low pressure tracking across the Carolinas brought heavy rain to parts of the southern Atlantic coast region, and blanketed the middle Atlantic coast states and southern New England with heavy snow. The storm produced up to nine inches of snow over Long Island, N.Y., and up to 14 inches over Cape Cod, Mass., at Yarmouth. Totals of 4.7 inches at New York City and 6 inches at Newark, N.J., were records for Thanksgiving Day.

To find more weather history and see what the winter has in store for you, go to our Weather Center!