If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this holiday season, AccuWeather.com has the scoop on the most favorable U.S. geographical locations for at least one inch of snowfall and snow depth on the ground.
Normal temperatures for the month of December are taken into account for such predictions, and based upon data gathered between 1981 and 2001, northern New England, Upper Midwest, Rocky Mountains or Intermountain West are the regions with the highest chances of Dec. 25 snowfall with more than a 75 percent chance.
"The farther north you go in the country, the earlier winter sets in," AccuWeather's Expert Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews said. "By Christmas, it's already cold enough that the odds favor precipitation coming in the form of snows."
Big cities with a high likelihood of a white Christmas include Minneapolis, Minn., Green Bay, Wisc., Buffalo, N.Y., and Burlington, Vt.
"Denver is susceptible to Pacific storms, especially if the storm goes by to the south of them, then they get clobbered," said AccuWeather's Expert Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck. The city has more than a 50 percent chance of at least one inch of snowfall on Christmas, while eastward, Chicago has less than a 40 percent chance, and major metropolitan areas Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C. have less than a 25 percent chance.
Of course, regions to avoid include southern California, southern Nevada, and southern and central Florida, which have almost no chance of a white Christmas and will very likely remain snow-free for the holiday season.
