Warmer weather is on the way for the Lower 48 just in time for Christmas
A longer-range forecast is showing that most of the Lower 48 is expected to see warmer temperatures by the end of December
Another bitter blast headed North, more record lows possible
Another blast of Arctic air is on its way to the Northeast and Great Lakes with more snow. The chill is expected to become more extreme this week with potential record breaking lows as temperatures will likely be 15 to 25 degrees below average across the regions. FOX Weather has the latest:
Winter has been off to an active start, with most of the country experiencing record-breaking low temperatures and heavy snowfall from an arctic blast and back-to-back snowstorms that have impacted millions of Americans.
With these significant winter conditions sweeping the nation, many were hoping that they would get a chance to enjoy a snowy Christmas.
A pedestrians pulls a roller bag through the snow during a snowstorm in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Hundreds of flights have been canceled in and around Chicago and roads are becoming treacherous as one of the busiest travel weekends of the year collides with a major storm bringing wintery conditions throughout the US Midwest Saturday.
(Photographer: Jim Vondruska/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
But a longer-range forecast is hinting that a change is coming just in time for the holidays.
According to the Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC’s) temperature outlooks, most of the Lower 48 is expected to see warmer temperatures above average into the end of December.
Currently, the West is enduring unusual warm temperatures from a large ridge high pressure system. As the system shifts eastward next week, the warm temperatures will follow, bringing warmer weather to the Midwest and Northeast.
(FOX Weather)
While many of these locations are currently covered in heavy snow, the warmer weather could cause the snow to melt heading into Christmas week. This would leave limited coverage from Iowa through Pennsylvania.
Because of this, the likelihood of a White Christmas may only happen in the higher terrain areas, including the Rockies, far north Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and New England.
CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE: WHO WILL SEE A WHITE CHRISTMAS?
Groves of Christmas trees, Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir, and some Concolors, stand in a snow covered field at the Beverly Tree Farm in Beverly, Massachusetts, on December 5, 2019. - The trees sell for $100, and customers cut them down for use as Christmas trees. All profits from the sales are given to charity. The trees take 6 to 12 years to mature. The farm has over 16,000 trees.
(JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
In order to have a White Christmas, there must be at least one inch of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. on Christmas day.
Many Northeast metropolitan cities such as New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. haven’t seen a white Christmas since 2009.
And based on this current forecast, it looks like they will not get the chance to experience one in 2025 either.