WASHINGTON - Christmas is just days away and while hopes may be up by many with wishes and you may be "Dreaming Of A White Christmas" for the DMV, know that Mother Nature is not likely to gift us with it this year.
Right now, it looks like a clipper system will move across the Great Lakes into New York and Southern New England Monday night into Tuesday. Along the way with its associated cold front, it is forecast to bring some wintry precipitation to the Alleghenies and areas along and north of the I-70 Tuesday morning.
Models indicate that the system has the potential to produce freezing rain, sleet and snow over the far Western zones. So, on Christmas Eve we have a very slight chance of an early morning passing flurry from the system or a bit of a morning shower with a wintry mix, rain/snow mix then changing to rain that may stray a bit East, and it will end as rain by the afternoon.
The West Virginia panhandle and Western MD/PA border will see more. Nothing at all is in the forecast for Christmas Day for the DMV.
Officially, the "definition" of a "white Christmas" means the minimum of 1" of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. So, with the current forecast, the mountains and higher elevations will certainly meet the criteria. Now note, it does not have to actually snow on Dec. 25, there just needs to be at least 1" of snow on the ground.
Looking back, 2009 was the year that Mother Nature over-delivered with a blizzard that resulted in over sixteen inches just six days prior to Christmas day — a snow lover's dream! But those snow lovers will have to wait for 2025 to see if we can reach the white Christmas goal, as this year it's not in the cards.
What we will get will be a mix of sun and clouds with milder air later in the week taking over. It will be a nice break from the bitter cold temps we have now with the Arctic blast we are experiencing. Temps will moderate by Christmas Eve and Christmas day with temperatures closer to seasonal.
By the end of the week, the upper air pattern changes all while you are recovering from all the holiday fanfare. We could see some showers on Friday night and Saturday, which will come with temperatures finally moving to the upper 40s and low 50s.
Even without the white Christmas and knowing you won't be digging out that toboggan or sled for the kids or spending time shoveling the "white stuff" after enjoying it for the holiday, you can still light the fireplace, sit back and enjoy a hot cup of cocoa or head out and take in neighborhood light displays and enjoy the season for the delight it brings once a year.