Norfolk, VA – Coastal Virginia may enter a wetter and occasionally unsettled stretch during the Thanksgiving travel window, as long-range federal outlooks show a near-normal precipitation pattern, leaving the region with a 50–50 chance of brief mixed precipitation between November 23 and November 29.
According to the Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 Day Outlook issued Saturday, the Virginia coast sits between colder inland Mid-Atlantic air and persistent marine warmth from the Atlantic. This type of boundary setup is common in late November and often produces a range of outcomes—from steady rain to an occasional rain–snow mix just inland.
Hampton Roads—including Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth—leans strongly toward cold rain, with coastal influence keeping temperatures well above freezing during most storm windows. While a stray wet flake cannot be completely dismissed north and west of the metro, any meaningful wintry weather is unlikely along the shoreline.
Inland coastal plain communities—including Suffolk, Smithfield, Franklin, and parts of Isle of Wight and Southampton counties—have a slightly better chance at seeing a brief mix. Overnight cooling may drop temperatures near the rain–snow threshold, particularly if a coastal low deepens just offshore and draws colder air south for a short time.
Farther north toward the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck—including Gloucester, Kilmarnock, Tappahannock, and Warsaw—the chance for mixed precipitation increases modestly. These areas sit closer to the cold-air source region over central Virginia and can experience transient wintry periods during late-November systems.
Regardless of precipitation type, steady rain remains the primary concern and could slow travel along I-64, the Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel, the Monitor–Merrimac Bridge–Tunnel, and US-17 during peak travel periods.
Air travel delays are also possible at Norfolk International Airport and Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport if widespread rain or low ceilings coincide with heavy holiday departures.
Forecasters expect sharper details early next week as short-range models begin resolving individual systems and surface temperature profiles.
