Many people dream of a white Christmas, but holiday forecasts show that only Americans in 18 states have a high chance of waking up to snow.
AccuWeather forecasters say snow is a ‘guarantee’ over the Rocky Mountains, which run through Montana. IdahoWyoming, Utah, and Colorado.
Along the West Coast there is a large area CaliforniaOregon, and Washington also see snow on Christmas Day.
Opportunities look good in many parts of the Northeast, especially in some areas MaineNew Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The northern parts of the Midwestincluding areas in North Dakota, MinnesotaWisconsin, Michiganand the northeast corner of Ohioand have a strong chance of snow.
To qualify as a white Christmas, there must be at least an inch of snow on the ground by the morning of December 25th.
However, Jared Rennie, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told DailyMail.com that southern countries like. Florida, Alabamaand Texas has ‘zero chance’ of having a white Christmas.
Although forecasts are constantly changing, experts have been tracking white Christmases across the country since 1981. This historical record gives a good indication of which areas are most likely to see snow during the holidays.
Many people dream of a white Christmas, but holiday forecasts show that only 18 states in the United States have a good chance of waking up to snow. AccuWeather forecasters say snow is a ‘guaranteed’ high in the Rocky Mountains.
“A lot of times, there’s a north/south trend in the US,” Rennie said.
‘Places like northern New England, the Dakotas – they’ve always been white Christmaseven now when the weather is changing,” he said.
Indeed, when the temperature of the world risesA white Christmas is becoming a rare commodity.
‘The number of white Christmases has really fallen in the last 10 years,’ Rennie said.
‘The biggest driver is just the temperature – temperatures across the US are rising.’
Every 30 years, NOAA creates a historical map of how much snow falls on the ground on Christmas Day.
The most recent revision covers data from 1991 to 2020.
Gray areas have little or no chance of seeing a white Christmas, blue areas have a low chance and bright blue or white areas have a high chance.
Gray areas have little or no chance of seeing a white Christmas, blue areas have a low chance and bright blue or white areas have a high chance.
This map shows that it is unlikely that the southern states will receive snow on December 25 each year.
From Malibu to Miami and northern Virginia, states have zero access.
The edge of California, Oregon and Washington won’t see snow on Christmas either, even though these are northern states.
This is mainly due to their aquatic climate, which is characterized by mild temperatures even in winter.
But higher up, especially in and around the Rocky Mountains, the chance of having a white Christmas increases significantly, from about 40 to 100 percent as the elevation rises.
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado both have a historically high chance of snow on December 25.
Most of the Midwest shows similar problems, especially in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.
As temperatures have increased due to climate change, the number of white Christmases has dropped in the US, data shows
In the Northeast, such as Maine, Vermont, New HampshireMassachusetts, New York and the north Pennsylvaniathey are also very lucky to have snow on Christmas day.
This historical data gives a general idea of the parts of the US that are most likely to have a white Christmas. But the actual weather can vary from year to year, and it’s not unusual for countries to deny what happened in the past.
For example, 2023 was the greenest Christmas since 2003, AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok told DailyMail.com.
Only 17.6 percent of the US had snow on December 25 that year. Even states with historical records – such as Wisconsin, Maine, Massachusetts and Michigan – had little snow on Christmas.
But last year was the whitest Christmas since 2003, with 53 percent of the US covered by at least an inch of snow on December 25, 2022. The coldest and most widespread snowfall reached southern Tennessee that year.
This can make the possibility of a white Christmas seem like a coincidence. But looking at the long-term data shows trends, including a total drop in snowpack on Dec. 25, Rennie said.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, ‘total snowpack has decreased in most parts of the country since records began in 1930, with 57 percent of stations showing a decrease.’
That’s mainly because as temperatures rise, winter is less likely to snow, and more likely to fall as rain, sleet or freezing rain, he said.
Additionally, climate change is causing shorter winters and longer summers. Climate Central found that 98 percent (236) of the 240 U.S. locations analyzed experienced a cold winter from 1970 to 2023.
This means that the first snowfall of the year is happening later.
For those who enjoy snow and hope for a white Christmas every year, this may sound like a disappointment. But even as the climate changes, there will be many years when much of the US is blanketed in white on December 25, Rennie said.
‘White Christmases, heavy snowfalls, storms, sea ice – these will still happen. They will never leave. It’s just that their frequency is decreasing,” he said.
