Christmas is fast approaching, and many parts of the United States have seen a glimpse (or a lot more) of snow already this winter season. But what are the chances of having a white Christmas in 2025?
It's too early for meteorologists to say with much certainty where there will be enough snow to count as a white Christmas. (A white Christmas isat least 1 inch of snow is on the ground, whether or not it actually snows on Christmas Day, according to forecasters.)
On Dec. 3,about 40% of the countrywas covered by snow, after recent snowstorms in parts of the Midwest, New England and Mid-Atlantic. More rounds of snow and arctic air are expected in the coming days and weeks, forecasters said.
Though the available data gives us a good idea of the chances of a white Christmas, NOAA says "theactual conditions in any year may vary widelyfrom these because the weather patterns present will determine the snow on the ground or snowfall on Christmas day." Check back withUSA TODAY's coverageand your local weather service office closer to Dec. 25 for a surer forecast.
Still, historical weather data can give us an idea of the odds for different parts of the country.
States with the best historical chance of a white Christmas
In any given year, your best bet for a white Christmas is in Minnesota, Maine, upstate New York, Idaho or some of the snowiest mountain ranges in the country, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which produced a map of the probabilities for a white Christmas based on climate data from 1991 to 2020.
Cities with the best historical chance of a white Christmas
None of the most-populated 25 cities in the United States have a very good chance (higher than one-in-three) of a white Christmas, according to AccuWeather's analysis of the historical data. Among the biggest cities, Denver is the most likely, with a 34% chance, followed by Chicago with about a 33.5% chance, AccuWeather reported.
Indianapolis, Boston and Columbus rounded out the top five major U.S. cities for best chances of a snowy Christmas setting.
Aside from major cities, mountain towns in the Rockies and New England have the best chances at a white Christmas, AccuWeather reported. Tahoe City, California, has an 83.4% chance. Ski towns in Colorado have chances from 94 to 99%.
Let it snow! Revisit one of the coldest decades in the US.
States with the worst chances for a white Christmas
The least likely spots for a snowy Christmas scene? The West Coast, Deep South and Gulf Coast.
The worst chances for snow include much of the southeastern part of the country and the West Coast, according to the NOAA data. It might go without saying, but there is a 0% probability of a white Christmas in Miami, Houston and Los Angeles based on the data.
Why the obsession with white Christmas?Blame Dickens and the Little Ice Age
Map shows the national chances of a white Christmas in a map
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:White Christmas forecast? Data reveals best locations.
