Thanksgiving forecast: A dry, crisp and windy weekend that might even usher in a bit of snow

Whether you're staying close to home in Boston or hitting the roads, your Thanksgiving holiday weekend travel is likely to feature brisk air, sunshine and perhaps even a few snowflakes.

Here's how the long holiday weekend is expected to unfold, starting with Wednesday, the busiest of travel days:

While it’s not a washout by any means, scattered rain showers will dot the region, especially from the afternoon into the early evening.

In Boston, we’ll be dealing with hit-or-miss wet roads, so pack patience and maybe a good audiobook for the ride. The rain won’t be steady, but intermittent showers may have you flipping your wipers on and off. Temperatures will be mild, with highs approaching 60 degrees.

Come Wednesday night, a cold front sweeps through, ushering in drier but colder air just in time for Thanksgiving Day.

Turkey Day begins with plenty of sunshine to greet all the Turkey Trots & football games. Temperatures will hang around 40 degrees. There will be a noticeable breeze as the day stretches into the afternoon, with gusts between 20-30 mph. The wind will make temperatures feel cooler, around the upper 30s.

Highs will peak in the mid- to upper 40s in Boston, which is pretty typical for this time of year.

Elsewhere across the region, there's fantastic news for snow lovers and winter sports enthusiasts ready to break out their skis and snowboards. Several inches will accumulate as upslope snow showers hit the mountains of northern New England Thursday. The bands of snow will occur thanks to lake effect bands and upper-level energy that's entering behind the departing system.

Black Friday brings a blustery winter feel. High temperatures may not eclipse 40 degrees for many cities and town, but strong winds will deepen the chilliness.

Numerous gusts around 40 mph will create wind chills in the upper 20s to low 30s. We may even see a few “ambiance flakes” around the Bay State, including in Boston, Friday afternoon or evening. The snow won't be impactful, but just enough to remind you winter is coming to town.

For those braving the early morning sales or outdoor events on Friday, put on your full winter gear. The wind could also knock out power or pull down tree limbs in a few isolated spots.

Saturday stays chilly with highs once again stuck in the 30s to near 40. The wind eases just slightly, but it’s still breezy enough to feel more like winter than fall.

Up north, mountain snow showers persist with more accumulation possible across the summits of northern Vermont and northern New Hampshire.

Keep a close eye on how the forecast looks to evolve Sunday. For those returning to New England, the early part of the day so far looks quiet. But clouds will increase in the afternoon, and light rain and snow will be moving through parts of Pennsylvania and western New York, inching eastward as the day progresses.

If you’re driving back into Boston, we suggest hitting the road earlier in the day to stay ahead of any wet or slick travel later on.

If you’re wondering what Thanksgiving typically looks like in Boston, historically, the warmest was a balmy 71 degrees back in 1941. And the coldest Thanksgiving high was just 24 degrees in 2018.

What about snow on Thanksgiving in Boston? That’s a rarity, with only about a 7% chance, but the year 1989 set a snow record of 4.4 inches.

Stay ahead of the weather, anytime, anywhere with the 1DegreeOutside app, available for free in the App Store and Google Play, with full access to a 24/7 livestream.