How the Strong El Niño Will Influence the Chances of a White Christmas in Your Area

A clear El Niño phase has emerged and will stay in place through Christmas this year. This phase generally translates to warmer than usual temperatures throughout most of the U.S., impacting the odds of snow at Christmas.

However, some areas will be the exception to this general rule. Read on for more information about how El Niño will impact your chances of a white Christmas.

Defining a True White Christmas

Climatologists are able to look back at data from the last eight strong El Niño seasons to make predictions about what the current phase will bring for weather patterns across the U.S. This includes making predictions about the chances of a white Christmas in any particular area.

In order to qualify as a white Christmas, there needs to be at least one inch of snow on the ground when Christmas dawns. This means that the snow does not need to fall on Christmas Day for it to count. In addition, the record books will not reflect a mere trace of snow on the ground.