The Cities With the Best Chance for a White Christmas
With less than a week to go until Christmas, meteorologists are getting a clearer picture of the weather patterns that'll be in place for the holiday. But, will you end up with a White Christmas? Let's take a look at where things stand.
A ridge of high pressure is going to force the jet stream north into the Arctic before allowing it to plunge south down the West Coast. This weather pattern is going to create a "cold-air pipeline" of very cold Arctic air, which will blow into the continental United States starting Tuesday.
Throughout much of this week, the cold air is going to be limited to the West Coast, with it finally pushing south into Texas by Friday. As the air circulates around a ridge of high pressure in the Atlantic Ocean, the cold winds will reach the Northeast by Christmas Day. The deep Southeast may be the only part of the country shielded from cold temperatures.
What does this mean for the likelihood of a White Christmas? Well, the weather gurus at Weather Underground have been updating a White Christmas forecast daily as weather patterns and forecasts shift. Stay tuned to this page for the latest updates on the forecast.
As of December 18, here are the latest predictions for what part of the US will have at least one inch of snow on the ground on December 25:
Historically Speaking
When approaching the question of where in the US will have a White Christmas, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) takes a look at historical data. Based on weather data from 1981-2010, here's a map of areas in the US that have snow on the ground for Christmas:
If you're set on having a White Christmas, there are only a few places outside of Alaska that boost a 100% historical probability:
- Climax, CO
- Cooke City, MT
- Silver Lake Brighton, UT
- Old Faithful, WY
- Snake River, WY
- Crater Lake National Park Headquarters, OR
- Darwin Ranch, WY
- Hebgen Dam, MT
- Lake Yellowstone, WY
- Blowhard Mountain Radar, UT
- Moran, WY
- Aspen, CO
However, there are plenty of areas with a high historical probability — including most of Idaho, Minnesota, Maine, upstate New York, the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
If you're curious about the historical probability for a particular city, here's an interactive map of the White Christmas probabilities.
Forecast for Christmas
While weather forecasts are can shift across a week, here are the current Christmas Eve and Christmas Day forecasts for major US cities:
- New York City: Christmas Eve: A 50% chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Christmas Day: A 50% chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50.
- Los Angeles: Christmas Eve: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. Christmas Day: Sunny, with a high near 72.
- Chicago: Christmas Eve: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Christmas Day: A slight chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 20.
- Washington DC: Christmas Eve: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Christmas Day: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- San Francisco: Christmas Eve: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. Christmas Day: Sunny, with a high near 57.
- Boston: Christmas Eve: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Christmas Day: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 44. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Dallas: Christmas Eve: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Christmas Day: Sunny, with a high near 40.
- Philadelphia: Christmas Eve: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 40. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Christmas Day: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Miami: Christmas Eve: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. Christmas Day: A 20% chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
- Houston: Christmas Eve: A 20% chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Christmas Day: A 20% chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 47
- Atlanta: Christmas Eve: A 50% chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Christmas Day: A 40% chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57.
Across the largest US cities, only Chicago has snow in the forecast for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Although it's forecast to go below freezing in Dallas, there's no precipitation on the radar. Meanwhile, Miami is forecast to hit a balmy 78 degrees on Christmas Day.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide.§ *Eligible charges vary by property.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.