With Christmas Day less than a week away, forecasters are starting to give updated predictions for the possibility of snow in Pennsylvania this year.
Will any parts of Pennsylvania experience a white Christmas? What parts of the state have the highest chance of seeing snow?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s white Christmas probability map shows the chance of having at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Dec. 25 based on data collected from 1991 through 2020.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s white Christmas probability map shows the probability of there being at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25 based on data collected from 1991 through 2020.
Credit: NOAANOAA
“Minnesota. Maine. Upstate New York. The Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Practically anywhere in Idaho. And of course, the Rockies or the Sierra Nevada Mountains,” the NOAA website said. “These are the parts of the United States where weather history suggests you want to be if you’re looking for the best chance of a white Christmas.”
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The NOAA white Christmas probability map gave both the Harrisburg and Philadelphia regions between a 10% and 25% chance of receiving at least 1 inch of snow on Christmas. The Pittsburgh area was listed between 25% and 40%.
AccuWeather’s current forecast for Harrisburg on Dec. 25 is, “Cloudy; a chance for a bit of snow or flurries in the morning, then rain and drizzle possible in the afternoon,” with a 30% chance of precipitation.
The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast said Christmas Day in Harrisburg will bring “a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39,” and a 30% chance of precipitation.
Other cities and municipalities in central Pennsylvania, including Lancaster, York, Chambersburg, Carlisle, Lebanon and Gettysburg, have a similar forecast for Christmas Day, with a high of around 40 degrees and a 30% to 40% chance of rain.
Even northern Pennsylvania municipalities, including Scranton and Williamsport, are expected to be 38 degrees or warmer during Christmas Day before temperatures drop into the 20s at night, the NWS said.
Weather conditions in central Pennsylvania could worsen leading up to Christmas Day and impact winter travel plans, AccuWeather said.
“This is expected to be a record-breaking holiday travel season with millions of people driving or flying across the country. Wintry weather could cause some big travel disruptions,” AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin said. “Snow can quickly create hazardous driving conditions on the highways and lead to long delays at the airports.”
Rain, snow and light winds are possible in Harrisburg and surrounding areas from Wednesday night through this Friday night, according to the National Weather Service.
A 30% to 40% chance of snow before 1 p.m. Friday is expected in places like York, Lancaster, Chambersburg, Harrisburg, Carlisle and Lebanon, the NWS said. However, not much snow is expected to accumulate on the ground with rain showers soaking the region later in the day.
A slight chance of snow is possible after 1 a.m. on Saturday, according to the NWS, but there is no additional snow in the forecast until Tuesday night.
The NWS Climate Prediction Center is calling for temperatures and precipitation “likely above normal” throughout Pennsylvania through New Year’s Day.
The Climate Prediction Center is calling for “likely above normal” temperatures and precipitation throughout Pennsylvania for the next eight to 14 days.
Credit: NOAANOAA
Harrisburg has experienced abnormally warm and extremely cold holidays throughout its history. According to PennLive, the warmest Christmas in Harrisburg was 66 degrees in 1889 and the coldest was 7 degrees in 1983.
Here is a look back at the last five white Christmases in Harrisburg:
- 2012: 1 inch
- 2009: 2 inches
- 2000: 2 inches
- 1995: 6 inches
- 1989: 1 inch
Forecasters are predicting freezing temperatures at many of this weekend’s College Football Playoff games, including the first-ever playoff game being held at Beaver Stadium in State College.
“Fans heading to football games in State College, Pennsylvania, South Bend, Indiana, and Columbus, Ohio, should be bundled up and prepared for freezing temperatures and gusty winds Friday and Saturday,” AccuWeather said in a press release.
Crews work to clear snow from the field at Beaver Stadium in preparation for the upcoming playoff game against SMU on Saturday, Dec. 21.
Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.comPennLive
Friday could bring light snow or snow showers to the State College area after 1 p.m. with temperatures around 35. Meteorologists are predicting a snow accumulation of less than a half inch.
After that, “it will be very cold, with maxes only in the 20s to low 30s,” the National Weather Service reported.
The cold temperatures will “cool the ground enough to allow any snow that falls on Friday to stick to untreated or elevated surfaces,” the National Weather Service said.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Larson said Friday to Sunday will bring State College’s coldest air of the season so far.
“Families heading to college football playoffs Friday night and Saturday should be prepared for bitter cold,” AccuWeather included in their release.
Kickoff for the Penn State-SMU game is noon ET Saturday.
