Iowa–Illinois – Mist clings to riverfront neighborhoods this morning as dense fog rolls across the Mississippi, softening headlights and coating roads with a thin wet sheen. Thanksgiving Travel is already building through the Quad Cities, and early drivers on I-80, I-74, and Route 61 will notice visibility tightening quickly. The air feels damp and cool, hinting at a pattern ready to shift fast.
According to the National Weather Service, fog may reduce visibility to a quarter mile in some areas before gradually lifting late this morning. Once the fog thins, winds become the main challenge. A strong west-to-northwest flow strengthens today and tonight, pushing gusts toward 50 mph by Wednesday afternoon. These winds could shake high-profile vehicles, blow around loose objects, and create brief power flickers. Travelers heading out for Thanksgiving gatherings should plan extra buffer time, especially on north–south stretches where crosswinds strike hardest.
A Winter Tease follows quickly. Forecast models show an early sign of accumulating snow Friday night into Saturday, though exact totals remain uncertain. Still, the setup includes cold air, returning moisture, and a classic warm-to-cold transition that often triggers a rain-to-snow changeover. Even light accumulation may cause slick patches for those returning from Thanksgiving dinner or heading out for Black Friday deals.
Thanksgiving Day itself looks calm and sunny, offering a helpful window for regional travel. Temperatures stay chilly, but roads remain dry. By Friday night, colder air deepens and snow chances increase, especially across eastern Iowa and western Illinois.
Five-Day Outlook
Wednesday: Breezy, 38°, gusts near 45–50 mph.
Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, 35°.
Friday: Mostly sunny early, snow chance late, 33°.
Saturday: Snow likely, 33°.
Sunday: Rain/snow chance, 36°.
