One of the biggest questions this time of year is: “Will we have a White Christmas?” Lots of people dream of a White Christmas, as the song goes. And, just about everyone has their own idea of what that is.
For some, it means it has to actually snow on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, with enough accumulation to completely cover the ground. Other folks are satisfied with just some snow on the ground, even if it isn’t snowing. And, there are people who are happy just to see a few flakes fall from the sky.
Well, believe it or not, there is, in fact, a scientific definition of what counts as a White Christmas. According to the National Weather Service, a White Christmas is defined as having one inch or more of snow on the ground Christmas morning. So, it doesn’t actually have to be snowing. That’s the official word, anyway. But, if you have your own standards, that’s cool too.
With the big day coming up fast, we have some predictions on where to expect a White Christmas, based on the official definition.
As you probably expected, the southern states won’t have any snow on the ground Christmas morning. No big surprises there, however, thanks to a cold front that’s expected on Christmas Eve, it will at least be a cool Christmas Day for most of the southern tier of the country. Now for the snow, and we’ll go from west to east.
There will be at least 1 inch of snow on the ground in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges, as well as the Northern and Central Rockies, including the Tetons and Bitterroot Ranges.
There’s a big storm brewing in the Northern Rockies, and that’s expected to bring snowfall to the Northern Plains and the Great Lakes. That should give those areas enough snow to call it a White Christmas.
That same storm will bring a lot of rain to the eastern third of the country from coastal New England down to the Gulf Coast. But, cold air will come in behind it, providing a chance for at least an inch or more of snowfall for the Appalachians, the Ohio Valley and up through western Pennsylvania and New York State. And there’s also plenty of snow on the ground from the last storm over much of New England, with more expected.
As for the rest of the country, the higher elevations of the Intermountain West should have enough, but the lower areas will be dry. And the chances of a White Christmas are low for most of the Central Plains and the middle Mississippi Valley, eastward into the Carolinas and the southern parts of the Mid Atlantic states.
Remember, that’s where we expect a White Christmas by the official definition.
Now, for the really important news. We’ve checked the weather conditions at the North Pole, because Santa is getting the sleigh packed up and the reindeer fed for the long trip. It’s clear and cold up there, and the Elves are hard at work. And Donner is in the gym, for a last-minute workout, because he had a little too much pumpkin pie over Thanksgiving.
The weather for Santa’s journey should be fine, with that big winter storm over the northern states getting out of the way just in time.
As you probably know, it’s dark all the time at the North Pole during the winter months because of the Earth’s tilted axis, which causes the seasons. But, not to worry. Santa always has plenty of light thanks to the North Star, and Rudolph’s nose, which we understand is operating at full power.
And remember, the good folks at NORAD will be tracking Santa again this year online at https://www.noradsanta.org/!
Whether you have a white Christmas or not, we wish you a merry one, and a happy, safe holiday season.