AccuWeather and Weather.com forecasters are predicting a “green Christmas” this year, as a snowless holiday seems to be on the horizon. Christmas Day is less than 10 days away and enthusiasts of a white Christmas may be disappointed as meteorologists are warning that there will be warmer-than-average temperatures and drier conditions across the country near the northern tier. Pacific air moving from the west to the east across the nation is hindering the chances of a widespread snow event before Christmas.
However, there are still some places where you might be lucky enough to see a white Christmas. According to Weather.com meteorologists, the best chances for a white Christmas are in the higher elevations of the West. There is also a possibility of a white Christmas near the Canadian border from North Dakota to Maine, as well as in the mountains of West Virginia.
Only 18% of the contiguous U.S. is currently snow-covered, the lowest percentage for the date since 2006. This time last year, the nation was 42% snow-covered.
The National Weather Service defines a white Christmas as having 1 inch of snow on the ground on the morning of Dec. 25. Some of the best odds for a white Christmas, according to NOAA, are to head north to states or areas such as Minnesota, Maine, upstate New York, or the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Heading West is also a good idea, as practically anywhere in Idaho or the Rockies or Sierra Nevada Mountains can provide a snowy Christmas.
The USA’s love affair with a white Christmas began in 1942 when Bing Crosby first crooned the song “White Christmas” in the film “Holiday Inn.” The lyrics of the song bring out a romanticized image of Christmases past, “just like the ones I used to know,” and it comes as no surprise that people yearn for the picturesque scene. However, for this year, at least, it seems that a white Christmas will be a rarity.