Originally published by AccuWeather.
Will shoppers be more likely to head out to the mall or stay home and shop online this weekend? AccuWeather expert forecasters are predicting better Black Friday shopping weather this year across many areas of the U.S., which may be a bright spot for in-store retail sales.
Most of the U.S. should experience dry conditions on Black Friday, with a few exceptions.
Along the West Coast, from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, weather conditions should be great for travel and venturing out to the stores.
A surge of Canadian cold air can contribute to accumulating snow across the Rockies including Denver, Colorado. Temperatures falling as much as 30 degrees and at least several inches of snow along the Front Range of the Rockies and Colorado I-25 corridor can snarl travel and cause delays for those headed out to shop.
Along the Gulf Coast and across the Southeast, shoppers are likely to need an umbrella as a storm brings rain and a few thunderstorms. A few rounds of rain are possible in these areas both on Black Friday and then again later in the weekend into Cyber Monday. Rain could also sneak north over the weekend across the mid-Atlantic, so shoppers should be sure to monitor the forecast closely in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Md.
Much of the northern tier of the country from the Northeast through the Great Lakes and across the Dakotas should experience dry and chilly conditions for Black Friday and the holiday shopping weekend, so dress warmly.
On Cyber Monday, it may be a cozy day to stay inside and browse from your couch in portions of the Northeast and Great Lakes where a quick-moving storm can bring a risk for snow, especially across interior locations.
“Weather can have a big impact on consumer behavior, particularly shopping,” said Dan DePodwin, Senior Director of Forecasting Operations. “If the weather outside is frightful, holiday shoppers may tend to stay home and shop online rather than venture out. However, sunny weather, even if chilly, can put people in the mood to get out and stroll around their local stores. The weather also impacts what people buy and when. For instance, shoppers may buy hats and gloves early if there is an early-season arctic blast. Across the nation as a whole, the weather this coming weekend looks quieter overall than last year’s weekend after Thanksgiving when there was a significant storm that brought heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds from the South to the Northeast. This could lead to an increase in in-person shopping across those regions this year.”
