White Christmas Forecast: Areas with Expected Snow and Ice
Nine states from Virginia to Maine are under snow alerts on Christmas Eve morning as a band of snow moves through the Northeast, bringing treacherous driving conditions. The National Weather Service defines a white Christmas as having 1 inch or more of snow on the ground at 7 a.m. on Christmas morning. New York City is poised to potentially experience its first white Christmas in 15 years, with one inch of snow already fallen in Central Park on Christmas Eve morning. However, uncertainty looms over whether it will melt before Christmas Day. Other cities with a good chance of a white Christmas include Minneapolis, Green Bay, Boston, Buffalo, and Burlington.
Christmas Eve Forecast
On Christmas Eve morning, the heaviest snow is expected to hit upstate New York and northern New England, with the possibility of over 1 foot of snow locally. Along the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to Boston, a coating to 1 inch of snow is possible on Tuesday morning. A winter weather advisory has been issued for DC and Philadelphia due to the dangerous combination of a glaze of ice along with a potential snow coating. By Tuesday afternoon, the snow will taper off, allowing the sun to make an appearance in the Northeast, leading to a dry Christmas Eve night and Christmas Day morning.
West Coast Storm System
Simultaneously, a powerful storm system in the Pacific Ocean is generating extreme waves along the West Coast, a phenomenon seen only every few years. Northern California and southern Oregon could experience waves reaching as high as 60 feet, while Southern California might see waves up to 25 feet on Tuesday morning. This storm is also bringing gusty winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms with lightning to Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay area. Some of this rain may extend to Southern California, including Los Angeles, by the evening.
Christmas Day Forecast
On Christmas Day, temperatures are expected to reach 35 degrees in New York City, 39 degrees in Chicago, 53 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and 59 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Northeast will see slightly below normal temperatures, while the Midwest will experience slightly above normal temperatures. Showers and thunderstorms are forecasted from Texas to Mississippi to Tennessee on Christmas Day. In the Rocky Mountains, higher elevations could receive six to 12 inches of snow from Taos, New Mexico, to Big Sky, Montana, while Oregon and Washington will experience rainy Christmas afternoons with snow in the Cascade mountain range.
