Map Shows Which States are Bracing for White Christmas

The latest White Christmas forecast from the Weather Channel revealed a big change with the Northeast now expecting to see snow on Christmas morning while the Midwest saw its chances to snowfall plummet with warmer temperatures expected in the coming days.

How Meteorologists Define What Makes a 'White Christmas'

The latest update from the Weather Channel also included a clear definition of what meteorologists define as a "white Christmas" making it clear what residents should expect with the holiday drawing near.

"Meteorologists define a 'white Christmas' as having at least 1 inch of snow on the ground Christmas morning," the Weather Channel said. "It's snow cover, not falling snow, that counts. So, if there's no snow on the ground in the morning, and an inch of snow falls that afternoon or evening, it doesn't count as a white Christmas."

Where Snow is Expected to Fall Around Christmas

In the latest update from the Weather Channel, a white Christmas is expected along much of the northern United States. It included a map showing "the outlook of snowfall potential" through Dec. 25 morning.

"Given that warmer pattern, we don't expect much snow in the eastern two-thirds of the nation except near the Canadian border and Great Lakes snowbelts. But it's not all bad news if you love a white Christmas," the Weather Channel said.

"We do expect more mountain snow in the West through Christmas, as the map below shows. That's especially the case in the Cascades, Sierra and northern Rockies where recent record warmth and atmospheric rivers of rain have significantly depleted the snowpack. So, if you're spending Christmas on a ski slope in these areas, you may feel like Santa has delivered."

In total, the Weather Channel expects the snowfall to look very similar to 2024 when only 26% of the country saw a white Christmas.

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