Will Your Christmas be White?

Ahh! A white Christmas, “where the treetops glisten, and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow.” Irving Berlin certainly tapped into something central to the North American psyche when he wove those idyllic lyrics so many decades ago.

One of the most common questions the Farmers’ Almanac fields each year is whether or not a given location will have a white Christmas. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the overall chances of a white Christmas are statistically quite slim for most areas of the United States. New York City and Philadelphia get snow on Christmas only about 10 percent of the time, while Bostonians see snow on Christmas less than 23 percent of the time, and even snowy locales like Chicago and Denver stand only a 50 percent chance of having a white Christmas.

But, if Farmers’ Almanac forecaster Caleb Weatherbee’s predictions come true, holiday celebrations in many regions could be blanketed in white this year. The publication’s annual long-range forecast calls for heavy snow in New England, the Great Lakes, Plains states, Rocky Mountains, and most areas of Canada over the Christmas holiday.

Here’s what we’re predicting for your region, through the end of the year.

Northeastern U.S.
Dec. 20th-23rd: Dry and tranquil.
Dec. 24th-27th: Coastal storm brings rain for Virginia, but farther north precipitation mixes and changes to snow, heavy (4 to 8 inches) for New England.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair and cold.

Great Lakes/Midwestern U.S.
Dec. 20th-23rd: Fair and pleasant.
Dec. 24th-27th: Heavy snow spreads through the Great Lakes.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair skies, followed by increasing clouds.

Southeastern U.S.
Dec. 20th-23rd: Pleasant conditions.
Dec. 24th-27th: Thanks to a vigorous East Coast storm, it’s a rainy Christmas holiday.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair and cold Mississippi Valley east, with frosts to Florida.

North Central U.S.
Dec. 20th-23rd: Fair weather is quickly replaced by squally weather over the Rockies.
Dec. 24th-27th: Heavy snow (a foot or more) for Colorado and the Plains for the Christmas season.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair, then unsettled weather. Some snow for the Rockies.

South Central U.S.
Dec. 20th-23rd: Fair weather is quickly replaced by squally weather over Southern Rockies.
Dec. 24th-27th: Stormy for Christmas from New Mexico to Texas, followed by clearing. Rain for the Gulf Coast.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair, then unsettled weather: snowin’ and blowin’ over the Southern Plains.

Northwestern U.S.
Dec. 20th-23rd: Fair weather gives way to squally weather.
Dec. 24th-27th: Weather slowly improves in time for the Christmas holiday.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair, then becoming unsettled, with showers, especially along the coast.

Southwestern U.S.
Dec. 20th-23rd: Fair, then squalls move in from west.
Dec. 24th-27th: Heavy snow for Utah, and stormy for Arizona, followed by clearing skies.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair, then turning unsettled with showers for the Pacific Coast.

CANADA

Newfoundland, Labrador
Dec. 20th-23rd: Becoming wet.
Dec. 24th-27th: Dry and tranquil.
Dec. 28th-31st: One final snowstorm, as the year comes to a close.

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec
Dec. 20th-23rd: Dry and tranquil.
Dec. 24th-27th: Another heavy snowfall (15 to 30 centimetres) on tap for Christmas and Boxing Day holidays.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair and cold.

Ontario
Dec. 20th-23rd: Fair and pleasant.
Dec. 24th-27th: Heavy snow again (15 to 30 centimetres) spreads through Great Lakes east.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair skies, followed by increasing clouds.

Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
Dec. 20th-23rd: Fair weather is quickly replaced by squally weather over Rockies.
Dec. 24th-27th: Heavy snow (up to 30 centimetres) over the Prairies in time for Christmas and Boxing Day.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair, then unsettled weather, with some snow for the Rockies.

British Columbia
Dec. 20th-23rd: Fair weather gives way to squally weather.
Dec. 24th-27th: Weather slowly improves in time for Christmas and Boxing Day.
Dec. 28th-31st: Fair, then becoming unsettled, with showers, especially along the coast.

For forecasts into the new year, check out our free two-month forecasts!

What is a White Christmas?
Ever wonder what the definition is of a “White Christmas?” Does it mean the grass will be covered with snow or that snow will fall on December 25th? If we take the literal meaning of having white snow cover for Christmas, then the chances for a “white Christmas” in 2008 for many areas is very possible.

Check out this snow coverage map form the National Weather Service

In Canada: Think snow!