Blacksburg, VA — Virginia wakes under a thick, muted sky this early November morning, with low clouds dimming the Blue Ridge and leaving fields looking washed in soft gray. The air feels damp and still, a quiet signal that the atmosphere is preparing for changes as Thanksgiving travel begins ramping up across the region. Travelers heading out early should expect cool pavement, patchy fog in valley pockets, and slower starts along rural two-lane roads.
Conditions improve through the morning as clouds thin and filtered sun returns. Calm winds make it an easy window for errands, campus activities, and early holiday preparations. To be fair, the break won’t last. A growing southwest flow strengthens later today, feeding moisture toward the mountains and setting up a Friday rain event that could influence afternoon travel.
Rain becomes increasingly likely Friday, especially after midday. Showers may push across Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and stretches of I-81 during the afternoon and into the evening. While totals remain light, timing matters: heavier campus and commuter traffic may slow, and wet pavement could reduce visibility during the busiest pre-Thanksgiving travel week so far.
Saturday brings a slower pattern with scattered light rain early, followed by a mix of clouds and peaks of sun. Cooler, drier air settles in Saturday night. Sunday then offers a crisp, bright November day—ideal for outdoor decorating, hiking, or prepping guest spaces ahead of Thanksgiving week.
Long-range patterns show a Winter Tease building nationwide, with colder air gathering across the western and central U.S. Models hint at potential heavy snow somewhere in the country from November 25th into early December. Whether Southwest Virginia sees any Thanksgiving flakes remains uncertain—but the question is now officially on the table.
Five-Day Outlook (Blacksburg VA)
- Saturday: Chance of rain early, high 62.
- Sunday: Sunny, high 60.
- Monday: Mostly sunny, high 80.
- Tuesday: Rain likely late, high 67.
- Wednesday: Rain chance, high 62.
