Halls are decked and trees trimmed. As many enjoy the magical beauty of the season indoors, they may wonder when it will begin to look like Christmas outdoors.
The holiday season is underway. Neighborhoods are aglow with colorful lights and trees have been transformed into the twinkling centerpieces of houses from coast to coast. As many enjoy the magical beauty of the season indoors, they may wonder when it will begin to look like Christmas outside, with snow-covered hillsides and picturesque scenery akin to a holiday movie.
While those dreaming of a white Christmas will get their wish in some areas of the United States, AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok warns that a "green Christmas" could be a common sight as the sun rises on Monday, Dec. 25.
How often do people in the United States have a white Christmas?
A white Christmas is a year when there is at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Dec. 25, and despite what some holiday songs suggest, a snowy Christmas is not too common for large areas of the country.
For more than half of the contiguous United States, there is less than a 50% chance of snow on the ground on Christmas Day, according to historical weather records.
For folks in the Rocky Mountains, part of the Midwest and northern New England, a white Christmas is more common than one without a blanket of powder covering the ground.
In the South, the chances of a white Christmas are almost zero, especially in Florida, southern Texas, southern Arizona and parts of California.
What are the chances for a white Christmas in 2023?
Snow lovers may have to keep dreaming of a white Christmas this year, as AccuWeather forecasters say that only a few areas of the United States have a high chance of snow on the ground as the calendar flips to Dec. 25. This includes most of the Rockies and a few pockets of the interior Northeast.
Some snow will be possible in part of the High Plains and north-central U.S., as well as the Upper Midwest and areas downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
However, a lack of snow does not mean that calm weather is in the offing on the days leading up to the holiday.
More than 115 million Americans are expected to travel this holiday season, making 2023 the second-busiest after 2019, according to AAA. Due to the weather, millions of pre-Christmas travelers could have a bumpy ride on their journey.
"California will see an increase in wet weather mid to late [this] week," AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said. He added that a storm will track from the Southwest into the Plains around Dec. 22-23, but it will deliver mainly rain to the Plains. However, some fresh snow will be possible across the north-central Plains.
The stormy weather could put a damper on pre-Christmas travel at several major travel hubs, including those in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston.
By Saturday, Dec. 23rd, a portion of the Southwest U.S. can be categorized with poor travel conditions as a potential storm pushes across the region. Parts of Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Arizona can have active weather that may create poor conditions for motorists.
Long-range forecasters already have concerns for people planning to travel in the days following Christmas.
"There could be a period of rain and wet snow after the holiday [in the Northeast]," Pastelok said.
Continue to check back with AccuWeather in the coming days for further details about potential travel-altering weather, the potential for snow leading up to and on Christmas Day, and the chance for stormy weather leading up to New Year's Day.
Story Source: AccuWeather or CLICK HERE
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