Dreaming of a White Christmas? Here's Where Snow Is Expected

Skiers, perhaps more than anyone else, appreciate a white Christmas.

Sure, they might be opening packages and spending time with their family on the holiday itself, but once those obligations pass, they’re jetting off to the mountains as soon as they can.

This year, with wet and warm weather souring the start of the ski season in many places, a white Christmas is more desirable than usual. Thankfully, a turn in the forecast is signaling that some skiers—and snow fans—might be receiving the greatest gift of all.

Check out Accuweather's 'Probability of a White Christmas' forecast map below. The best chances for a White Christmas fall in the Intermountain West, New England, California's Sierra range, the northern stretches of the Midwest, and even West Virginia.

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Which Regions Have the Best Odds for a White Christmas?

According to a release from AccuWeather, regions like the central and northern Rockies, the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada, the Midwest, and the interior Northeast have the best shot of seeing a white Christmas. 

In places where snow fell earlier this month, like the mid-Atlantic and the southern Northeast, warmer temperatures could make the ground greener. Indianapolis, for instance, got slammed with snow this past weekend. Now, per the National Weather Service, it’s raining there.

“Snow lovers may be left disappointed in many towns this Christmas. Pacific air flowing over the Rockies will likely warm and melt snow in a lot of places right before the holiday,” said AccuWeather lead long-range expert Paul Pastelok.

Depending on how much snow fell, though, the flakes may survive the warm-up in places, he added.

Meanwhile, AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking a storm that could deliver snow to the Great Lakes and interior Northeast ahead of Christmas Day. The storm’s track will determine which areas do or don’t end up white, Pastelok noted. 

“At this time, it looks like areas north of Interstate 80 could see some snow. Mostly rain is expected south of Interstate 80,” he said.

A Powdery Reprieve for Western Skiers?

The story of the ski season, so far, is that many mountains out West have been devoid of snow. In Washington, driving rain has caused flooding and pushed back ski resort opening dates. 

But according to Chris Tomer, a meteorologist favored by skiers, the holidays might be white across the Pacific Northwest’s mountains. Considerable snow could fall there before December 22.

Still, at least at the outset of the storm, the freezing levels look finicky. The National Weather Service expects snow and rain at Crystal Mountain and Stevens Pass today, December 18, with temperatures expected to fall throughout the week. Road closures caused by flooding throughout the state have complicated opening day plans, too. Our advice? Check the social media pages of your favorite mountain—and think cold.

Then, later in the month, salvation may arrive for California, where ski resorts around Lake Tahoe have been anxiously waiting for powder. Tomer noted that between December 22 and December 26, feet of snow could fall from Mt. Shasta to Mammoth Mountain, California. 

In western Canada and the Northeast, where the ski season has seen a snowier start, more powder is on the way through Christmas, per Tomer’s forecast. Utah and Colorado, however, will still be left mostly high and dry.