White Christmas? Most of US can keep dreaming 

Most of the United States can keep dreaming about a white Christmas, as it likely won’t happen.

Record-warm temperatures are heading to the Midwest and much of the East, as a warm Pacific weather pattern, known as an El Niño event, covers much of the country.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned last week that a strong El Niño winter will result in warmer-than-average temperatures and increased precipitation in parts of the United States, crushing hopes of having a snowy Christmas.

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service (NWS) said they, too, were dreaming of a white Christmas, but forecasts are showing a relatively mild weekend ahead of the holidays. In a message Tuesday, they said at least the weather “is favorable for most people who have plans to travel this year!”

There is a chance of rain in Southern California on Friday, and snow is possible in the West and the Pacific Northwest. Thunderstorms are possible in eastern Texas, while it “remains dry and milder than average” in the Plains and East.

Wet weather will spread eastward from the West on Saturday with snow chances increasing in the Rocky Mountains with rain at lower elevations. Weather will continue to get milder from the East Coast to the Upper Plains, where some temperatures could reach 20 degrees above average, NWS predicts.

Snow could accumulate in the Front Range of the Rockies and northern High Plains on Sunday, NWS predicts. Alaska, which has already seen its snowiest start to the season, has the best chance of having a snowy holiday, potentially beating a record for the largest snow depth on Christmas set back in 1994.

“Mount Rushmore could have a coating of snow by the time Santa is making his rounds!” NWS said. “But the best chance for a White Christmas by far is in Alaska.”

NOAA’s forecast over Christmas, from Dec. 24-28, predicts that 68 percent of the country is going to see above-average temperatures and 53 percent will see above-average precipitation.