SAN FRANCISCO — Most of the U.S. is expected to wake up to pleasant weather on Christmas Day. Getting to Wednesday morning, much like waiting till it’s time to open the presents, could be the trying part.
A winter storm making its way east from the Great Lakes overnight Monday was forecast to bring snow and icy conditions early Tuesday to a large stretch from the Northeast to the Mid-Atlantic, further complicating holiday travel for drivers and footing for pedestrians.
On Tuesday, a relatively weak, low-pressure system is crossing the Northeast that could increase the chances of a white Christmas in the eastern U.S., the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center predicted. It will produce light to occasionally moderate amounts of snow from the central Appalachians to New England, which could combine with snow already on the ground. The system is expected to quickly move offshore Tuesday.
“That corridor from Boston down to the D.C./Baltimore area, there can certainly be some slick travel early on in the day,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines told USA TODAY. “We’re not looking for a lot of precipitation in that area, but it doesn’t take much snow or ice to slicken up the roads. That would be the concern.”
Kines said the trouble spots should clear up by noon Tuesday, making way for a welcome warming stretch for a region that has endured frigid temperatures recently, though the possibility of another storm looms late in the weekend.
The “Alberta Clipper” that delivered snow and blustery winds will be long gone by Wednesday, Kines said, making for a fine day to travel or enjoy the goodies found under the tree.
Santa Cruz wharf breaks off as series of storms hits West Coast
For the West Coast, the break in wet weather will be brief.
A string of storms that began last week has pounded the coast with large waves, leading part of the wharf in Santa Cruz, California, to break off and float into the Pacific. The rainy weather has also increased the chances of flooding and mudslides.
In a region popular with surfers, the National Weather Service office in the San Francisco Bay Area warned the public to stay away from the shore.
“Dangerous and life-threatening beach conditions are forecast with very high surf, rip currents, sneaker waves, and coastal flooding through Tuesday for ALL beaches along the Pacific Coast,” the office said on X. “Very rough seas, breaking waves to 60 feet, and extremely dangerous conditions. #cawx.”
The weather service said a front coming off the ocean late Monday into Tuesday will drop light rain on the Pacific Northwest and larger amounts over Northern California before that precipitation turns into snow over higher elevations, including the Sierra Nevada.
That system will be followed by another eastern Pacific front expected to hit the Northwest coast at some point no later than Thursday, Kines said.
“Thursday is not looking real great out there,” he said. “Places like Seattle and Portland (Oregon) will get some rain, possibly heavy rain, and then you get into the mountains and it will probably be heavy snow. For the most part, this storm is going to miss Southern California, but from the Bay Area on north there will be some precipitation, and closer to the Oregon border it’s going to be heavier.”
Warm, maybe wet in most of U.S.
In the South, a system fueling showers and some thunderstorms is expected to pass through Christmas morning, the Weather Prediction Center said Tuesday.
Moving from eastern Texas through Arkansas and southern Missouri, some areas could get more than an inch of rainfall, the forecast said. This raises a “Marginal Risk” of excessive rainfall.
Still, the rest of the country should expect above-average temperatures for late December. This is particularly true in the central and southern Plains, where highs in the day could be 15 to 20 degrees warmer than average. For much of Texas, outside of the system, temperatures could be in the 60s and 70s.
Will we have a white Christmas?
The annual question — whether we will have a white Christmas? — reaches peak curiosity this week. But as the planet warms due to human-caused climate change, the probability of seeing snow at Christmas is becoming increasingly unlikely, recent studies and reports have shown.
“With a warmer climate, it is likely that more winter precipitation will fall as rain rather than snow in many parts of the country,” said a 2021 report from Climate Central, a nonprofit science and communication organization. “Climate change threatens symbols of the holiday season from Christmas tree growth, winter recreation, and cozy drinks to Arctic wildlife.” Read more here.
Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, Doyle Rice and Elizabeth Weise
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
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