Will it snow on Christmas in the US? Check weather forecast for the holiday season

A warm Christmas is predicted for most of the US in 2024, with rain instead of snow expected across many regions. A white Christmas is most likely in the Rocky Mountains and along the US-Canada border. Holiday travelers should anticipate hazardous conditions in the Upper Midwest and northern Rockies early in the week, shifting to the Northeast by Tuesday.

White Christmas: Where is most likely to get snow

If you're looking for fluffy white christmas, some spots have a better chance than others. This year, the only parts of the US likely to see a white Christmas will be in the Rocky Mountains and along the US border with Canada.



This will include some northern areas of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Weather forecast for holiday travel

For those scheduled to travel on Monday, the more difficult regions will be in the Upper Midwest and in the northern Rockies. Falling snowflakes can be found in states like Idaho, western Montana, northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and northern Michigan. Interstate travel will be hazardous through parts of I-15, I-90, I-84, I-94 and I-75.


The cold weather conditions shift from the Great Lakes region into the Northeast on Tuesday. Cold air pushes through to bring upwards of a half a foot of snow to the interior Northeast.

Christmas weather forecast

Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will bring rain showers to the Mississippi Valley. In the West, it will rain in the lower elevations, with snow falling in the Cascade Mountains.

Hazardous interstate travel conditions will be found along I-5, I-90, I-94, I-80, I-81 and even parts of I-95 up the East Coast.

On Wednesday, Christmas Day, not many locations will see the fresh snowfall.

The definition of a "white Christmas" by the National Weather Service is having at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas morning. The only areas likely to meet that qualification on Christmas Day this year will be in the mountains and along the U.S-Canada border.

The moisture from the atmospheric river in the West will move into the Rockies to bring light snow to the higher elevations.