Christmas weather NYC: Will it snow? Holiday weekend forecast
NEW YORK CITY - Wondering if we will have a white Christmas in NYC this year or if the weather this weekend will disrupt your plans? Here's what to expect for Christmas weather and over the holiday weekend.
NYC Christmas and weekend weather forecast
- Friday will be partly cloudy with a high of 38, with a low of 26.
- Saturday will be cloudy with a high of 45 and a low of 33.
- Sunday will have a chance of showers with a high of 48 and a low of 38.
We'll start the holiday weekend on Friday clear and cool, with temperatures typical for this time of year. Cold air coming down from the North Pole will send temps into the teens and twenties. While it will be cold enough for snow, NYC will stay dry through Friday thanks to high pressure.
RELATED: When was the last time it snowed in New York City?
A look at the Christmas Day weather forecast across the country from FOX Weather (FOX Weather)
Some clouds come in for the weekend on Saturday, and we may see some rain from Saturday evening into Sunday. The northern high country might see a few wet flakes. While we'll have cold temps going into the holiday weekend, we'll warm up coming out of it.
Christmas Day weather
NYC won't have snow for Christmas – after it dries out late Sunday, we'll enjoy a partly cloudy, dry Christmas Day with temperatures in the lower 50s.
NYC Christmas 7-day forecast
Where will it snow for Christmas?
Here's an outlook of possible locations to see a white Christmas. (FOX Weather)
The FOX Forecast Center said computer forecast models show no major snowstorms in the final days before Christmas. As of Wednesday, only 15.7% of the U.S. is covered in snow.
The National Weather Service defines a white Christmas as at least 1 inch of snow on the ground measured at 7 a.m. Christmas morning or falling snow that accumulates to at least 0.1 inches on Dec. 25.
For most Americans, they'll have to watch their favorite holiday movie to see snow this year, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
"Look at the Christmas forecast on Monday itself, and it actually looks pretty active on Christmas Day for the central Plains down to the Southeast," FOX Weather Meteorologist Amy Freeze said. "We could still have residual impacts as people try to go home from Christmas."
Here's a comparison of white Christmases in the past and now. (FOX Weather)
When did it last snow in NYC?
Here's a look at the record snow-less streak in the Northeast. (FOX Weather)
For over 670 days, New York City has not experienced snowfall of at least 1 inch in a single calendar day--the longest stretch in recorded history.
Similarly, Philadelphia has gone almost 690 days without an inch of snow in a calendar day, while Baltimore has gone over 700 days – nearly two years – without experiencing any snowfall of an inch or more in a single day.
FOX Weather compiled the map below illustrating the historical probability of a white Christmas across the U.S.
The map is based on historical weather data averaged over the 30-year period from 1991 to 2020. The most recent climatological averages are provided by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
The historical probability of a white Christmas. (FOX Weather)
RELATED: When was the last White Christmas in NYC?
Keep in mind that these statistics are simply averages.
The weather pattern that sets up each December can increase the chances of a white Christmas in some areas while decreasing those odds in other areas.
FOX Weather contributed to this report.