Overview
- NOAA analysis as of December 23 shows snow on about 18% of the contiguous U.S., far below the roughly 38% historical average for Christmas.
- The NWS Mount Holly office cut New Jersey’s white‑Christmas chances, calling for mostly dry weather on December 24 and only insignificant precipitation on December 25 after modest pre‑Christmas totals north of I‑78.
- For New York City, the NWS expects a mostly dry Christmas Day, while AccuWeather projects the main accumulation Friday night, December 26, with roughly 6–12 centimeters and snow possibly lingering into Saturday, December 27.
- Forecasts flag a transition zone with sleet or freezing rain in parts of the Northeast that could glaze surfaces and disrupt travel during the post‑Christmas period.
- Heavy mountain snow remains likely in the West, with NOAA and AccuWeather calling for feet of accumulation in the Rockies and Sierra Nevada, including about 1–2 feet near Donner Pass, as the northern Midwest holds the best white‑Christmas odds.