Are you dreaming of a white Christmas?
If so, that dream may have to wait until 2024. Above-average temperatures are expected across much of the United States from December 21-27.
For the second year in a row, weather conditions across the country for the week ending December 25 are expected to be characterized by widespread shortages of cold air and precipitation, the two elements necessary for snow formation.
However, in some northern and mountainous regions, old snowpack from previous winter storms could help us have a white Christmas. This includes parts of the Rocky Mountains, Cascades, Sierra Mountains, and the northernmost parts of Minnesota, Michigan, and Maine.
Official definition of white Christmas According to the National Weather Service, this refers to the state in which at least 1 inch of snow has accumulated on the ground as of 7 a.m. local time on December 25. Snow can be old or new.
Outside of 2023, the chances of a white Christmas are generally fading away for much of the country, in part due to climate change.
When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) updates its information Probability of white Christmas The study, based on typical weather conditions for thousands of locations across the United States from 1991 to 2020, found that more than half of weather stations had a higher chance of a white Christmas compared to the period before 1991. It was found that it was decreasing.
In the latest releaseNOAA scientists say that while direct comparisons of snowfall amounts on specific days over decades are more tied to daily weather patterns, the probability of a white Christmas is more likely to be due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns across the country. It reflected trends, which are consistent with the effects of climate change, he said. climate change.
NOAA officials said in a statement that “there were more areas where the likelihood of a white Christmas decreased than where the likelihood of a white Christmas increased,” and these results reflect long-term global warming. It added that this is consistent with the data on
Compared to past decades, the cities where the probability of a white Christmas has decreased most dramatically are Denver (down from 40% to 34%), Minneapolis (down from 80% to 74%), and Chicago (down from 41%). 34%). %), Columbus, Ohio (29% to 23%).
17% of St. Louisans are now more likely to experience a white Christmas than 13% of New Yorkers. And Minneapolis has a better chance at 74% than Buffalo’s 53%. The odds for buffalo are about 50/50, but this is due to fluctuations associated with lake-effect snow events during the early winter months of each year.
There were also some surprising associations between major cities, including Seattle and Washington DC (both 4% chance) and Chicago and Denver (both 34% chance).
With 2023 set to be another harrowing year for those wishing for a white Christmas, it might be time to rethink the lyrics of Christmas classics.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
