Dreaming of a white Christmas? Head north
Dreaming of a white Christmas? As usual, head north.
Much of the upper Midwest, Ohio Valley, Rockies and portions of New England will have an inch or more of snow on the ground Christmas Day — the National Weather Service's standard for a white Christmas.
Specifically, residents of cities such as Minneapolis, Green Bay, Buffalo, Syracuse and Burlington have a greater than 75% chance of seeing snow outside while opening presents.
Across the USA, not much significant snowfall is expected in the next few days. However, a powerhouse storm on Christmas Eve is poised to deliver heavy snow and wind to the Upper Midwest, including Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis, AccuWeather predicts.
The East Coast, meanwhile, should forget about a white Christmas — the storm will instead bring a driving, windswept rain on Christmas Eve.
It need not snow on Dec. 25 to fit the National Weather Service's definition of a white Christmas, but some flurries would certainly help put folks in the holiday spirit.
The USA's fascination with a white Christmas dates back to 1942, when Bing Crosby first crooned the wistful song in the film Holiday Inn.
Written by Irving Berlin, the song's lyrics bring out a romanticized image of Christmases past, "just like the ones I used to know." A second movie — White Christmas, also with Crosby — came out in 1954.
Despite Bing's wishes, only 25% to 30% of the Lower 48 states is typically snow covered by Christmas, according to AccuWeather.
About 38% of the U.S. was snow-covered as of Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported. Vermont appeared to be the only state completely covered with snow, according to several snow cover maps.
Historically, much of northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, most of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and a large portion of the Western mountain areas have a 90% or better chance of a white Christmas, according to data from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
Looking for a sure-fire way to get a white Christmas? Head to Marquette, Mich., or International Falls, Minn.: Those two cities have had snow on the ground every Christmas since weather record-keeping began, according to the NCDC.
