Cooler temperatures, a bit of snow and other conditions appropriate for the Thanksgiving season are coming – just in time for the big feast.

“It’s that time of year when we’re supposed to enjoy some cooler weather,” 6News Meteorologist Matt Elwell said. “That makes the turkey go down better.”

Lawrence temperatures hit 77 degrees Monday, nearing the 1942 record of 79 degrees.

But the highs won’t last. A cold front moves in today, bringing a wind shift with gusts up to 25 mph.

The daytime high is expected to be 70 degrees, Elwell said, but the mercury will begin to fall, and temperatures are expected to hit 35 degrees during the night.

Rains are expected to move in tonight and snow will join the mix Wednesday, Elwell said.

The daytime high for Wednesday is expected to be 41 degrees. The daytime high for Thanksgiving Day will be 39 degrees.

But it’s still too soon for snow shovels.

“The temperatures are so warm on the ground that we probably won’t see anything accumulate,” said Bill Gargan, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

Though there may be some water on the roads, travel is not expected to be at all treacherous.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to cause too much in the way of travel problems,” Gargan said. “If you’re traveling to the northeast toward Chicago, you could get some snow, maybe 2 to 4 inches in that area.”

Elwell advised travelers departing Wednesday from Lawrence to head out early and use caution on the roads.

Kansas University junior Frank Allbritten said he’s not too concerned about the weather for his Wednesday afternoon trek to the Wichita area. In fact, he welcomes the cooler temperatures.

“I’m actually looking forward to it,” he said. “I think that’d be nice for a change.”