It’s a blustery Thanksgiving here on the Island, but just a dusting of snow so far and the winds should back off by late Morning. On the mainland, lakeshore spots like Traverse City have just an inch or two. But inland, from Bellaire down toward Grayling, lake-effect bands are piling up fast — more than a foot is possible by day’s end, and forecasters near Gaylord report 6 to 8 inches overnight.
Across the Upper Peninsula it’s a whole other storm: blizzard conditions continue along the Lake Superior shoreline, with many areas already measuring one to two feet of snow and some western U.P. locations pushing three feet.
Travel will stay difficult through the weekend, with whiteouts in heavy bands and another system expected by Sunday for travelers heading home.
Now, here’s a look at events happening on your Emerald Isle…
First your meeting planner…
A-A meets Thursday (maybe) and Saturday at 6:00. That’s it on the meeting front next week.
[In our Dark Sky…several events on the horizon, including “November Evening Planets,” a “New Moon” viewing, “Moon & Teapot,” a “Planetary Lineup” featuring Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury, and even a chance to spot Comet Lemmon. Visit the website dark sky island dot org for all the dates and times of upcoming events]
On the fun front today…
Today, there’s an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Day Service at 10:00 at the Christian Church and then at 6:00 the community thanksgiving supper at the G-F-C. All are welcome. Bring a dish to pass if you can.
Friday, gets underway with Senior + Vets Coffee + Donuts is on at the BIC Center from 9:00 to 11:00. Pickleball is at 10:00 in the Theater and Chair Strength Training is up in the Hangout at 10:30.
[On the radio, Kick off your weekend with our fantastic Friday lineup! After the 6:00pm news, enjoy “That Thing with Rich Appel” featuring top forty hits from the 70s. At 9:00pm, tune into “The Titus Jennings Experience” offering music from all genres, followed by “The Midnight Special” with Marilyn Rea Beyer at 11:00pm for music, farce comedy, and late-night escape.]
Saturday, the Fiero Code Club is on at the Library at 1:00 with a new program alongside called Girls that Code for girls in grades 3-12. At the BIC Center Saturday there is a pair of movies sponsored by the library. At 3:00 its Charlotte’s Web, a live action version of the classic tale. It’s rated PG. At 6:00, it’s the award winning Babette’s Feast, perfect for an after Thanksgiving movie night. And, don’t forget about the drawing for the winner of the BIC Center WVBI 2025 Raffle prize. It’s and electric golf cart on display in front ofd the BIC Center. Tickets are still available online at tickets dot bic center dot org or at the BIC Center front desk. Drawing is at 7:00 at the Shamrock.
[On the radio, tune in for Country Classics at 5:00 Saturday evening with host Sheri Timsak. At 7:00, Jackson Smith and Steve Girbach are in with Songs from the Trail. Mark Beltaire takes over at 9:00 with Rockin’ the Boat and continues at 10:00 with the Blues Cruise. Cousin Dan wraps up the evening with the Too Good Radio Show starting at 11:00.]
Sunday, there are services at the Christian Church at 10:00 and mass at Holy Cross at 12:15.
Looking ahead to next week…
Tuesday, there’s Pickleball…now inside at the BIC Center at 10:00, and Babes and Toddlers mix it up over at the library at 10:00. And in the Hang Out at the BIC Center, there’s Chair Strength Training at 10:30.
NAME OF DAY: No BIC Center Name of the Day today because the center is closed. Just expressions of gratitude from the NotD Team for those who tune in each day to hear the name and for our great community.
BIRTHDAYS: Sid Burgess celebrates today. Happy Birthday to Sid, and if we missed you on the list, Happy Birthday to you too from everyone at WVBI and your Beaver Island Community Center.
TRAFFIC: The W-V-B-I virtual octo-copter reports…no traffic. But, as always, let’s be careful out there, especially in the school zone.
On this date in 1960, hockey legend Gordie Howe — Mr. Hockey — scores his 1,000th career point while skating for the Detroit Red Wings. Howe first hit the ice for Detroit in 1946 at just 18, and he kept playing all the way into 1997, when a one-game stint with the Detroit Vipers stretched his pro career across six decades. And fittingly, his legacy lives on in concrete and steel: the new Gordie Howe International Bridge is now in its final preparation phase and expected to open soon, linking Detroit and Windsor in his name.
Gordie Howe International Bridge at dusk. Photo from gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com
Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is cornucopia (noun) [kor-nuh-KOH-pee-uh]. A cornucopia—also called the horn of plenty—is a curved, overflowing horn-shaped basket symbolizing abundance. The word comes from the Late Latin cornu copiae (KOR-noo KOH-pee-eye-eh), meaning “horn of plenty,” and ties back to Greek mythology: the infant god Zeus was said to be fed from a magical goat’s horn that produced anything its owner wished. Today, cornucopia most often refers to any overflowing supply or endless abundance.
Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Thursday…
Here’s a thought for the day from Norman Vincent Peale: “The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.”
On a lighter note…
What did the pumpkin say after Thanksgiving? Good-pie everyone.
That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Thursday, November 27th, 2025. I’m Kevin Boyle reporting from W-V-B-I’s Langford Family Studios Wishing you a great day and asking you: why not go ahead and make it the best day ever? And thanks for listening.
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Thanksgiving Day-Wind Advisory to 10:00am
Snow showers. Widespread blowing snow, mainly before noon. High near 35. Windy, with a northwest wind 25 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
Tonight
Snow showers, mainly before 1am. Patchy blowing snow. Low around 26. Windy, with a northwest wind 25 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
Friday
Snow showers, mainly after 1pm. High near 32. Breezy, with a northwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Friday Night
A 30 percent chance of snow showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Blustery, with a northwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Saturday
A 50 percent chance of snow showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Snow showers. Low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday
Snow showers. High near 34. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday Night
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. Blustery.
Monday
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29.
Monday Night
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19.
Tuesday
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30.
Tuesday Night
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22.
Wednesday
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Breezy.
Fire Danger Level on the Island set at Low. Air Quality Index this morning at 8:00 was 0.
Out on the Big Drink…
Thanksgiving Day-Gale Warning
NW wind 25 to 30 kt, with gusts as high as 35 kt. Snow showers. Waves 6 to 7 ft.
Friday
NW wind 20 to 25 kt. Snow showers. Waves 3 to 5 ft.
Saturday
WNW wind 5 to 10 kt becoming SSE in the afternoon. Snow likely, mainly after noon. Waves 1 ft or less.
Saturday Night
SE wind around 10 kt becoming ENE after midnight. Snow. Waves 1 ft or less.
Today’s featured image: Turkeys celebrate the day, but can have a hard time making it through the winter. Check the image source for tips on helping them out. Image from realtree.com