What to Expect for Weather in the Days Following Christmas

It was a rough start to the holiday week for many people in the Great Lakes, the northern Plains, and into the Northeast. Will Mother Nature be a bit kinder for the back end of the holiday? Here is a look at the post-Christmas forecast.

Post-Christmas Forecast Offers a Bit of Everything for the U.S.

The days following the Christmas holiday are shaping up to be calmer than what the first part of the week brought to much of the country. The biggest obstacles for travelers will be times of rain, thunderstorms, and fog for parts of the U.S.

The eastern third of the country will enjoy mostly docile conditions to end the week. This is in contrast to the start of the week that brought light snow and sleet to the Interstate 95 corridor. The quick-hitting storm delivered up to 2 inches of snow for the northwestern corner of the New York City metro area as well as a dusting to Central Park. It was the first time since 2009 that the city's famed park had an inch of snow on the ground on Christmas morning.

The region is in store for a change in the weather pattern as an area of high pressure sets up across New England. This high pressure will translate to mostly pleasant conditions for air travelers using the major airport hubs in the Northeast.

It will be a different situation heading to the west with some stretches of interstates 70, 80, or 90 under the gun for slowdowns due to the weather. Some of the airline routes through Chicago and Detroit may also be impacted by rain and fog by the end of the week.

For instance, Chicago is looking at a soggy Friday with a steady rain developing late in the day. Temperatures will hold steady with the highs and lows both landing in the upper 40s. Winds will be out of the southeast at 10 to 15 mph in the Windy City.

Areas that see the temperatures dip to the freezing level may also see icy spots on the roads. Untreated overpasses and bridges will be the most vulnerable to becoming slippery at times. Dense fog could also disrupt air travel.

An area of rain and thunderstorms will cause havoc for parts of eastern Texas, the southeastern corner of Oklahoma, and into Arkansas and Louisiana on Thursday. The severe weather will also impact parts of the Gulf Coast. For instance, both Dallas and Houston will be under the threat of thunderstorms throughout the day Thursday and into the overnight hours.

The line of storms could cause travel disruptions in busy hubs such as Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Be sure to check your flight status if you are using this airport or an airline that uses this major hub.

West Coast Weather Hazards

The parade of storms continuing to pummel the western U.S. will also present issues for travelers heading home after the holiday. Depending on the elevation of your particular area, you may see rain or snow over the next few days.

The interior portions of the West will experience a mix of rain and snow. Boise is forecast to wake up to morning rain showers on Thursday. The mercury will manage to make it up to about 43 degrees before sliding into the upper 30s after the sun goes down on the capital city. Winds out of the southeast at 10 to 20 mph will make it feel a bit chillier.

Colder temperatures in Salt Lake City may mean that some of the rain turns to light snow at times. Overnight lows will bottom out in the mid 30s in this metro area.

Elko, Nevada is also likely to see some of the rain transition to snow when the temperatures fall to about the freezing level overnight. This part of the state is forecast to see snowfall accumulations of about an inch. Like much of the rest of the interior West, it will be breezy with winds whipping around at 10 to 20 mph.

All of the storms are going to move far enough inland to bring measurable snowfall to the central Rockies through the weekend. You would be wise to check the road conditions if your plans in the coming days have you headed up to the high country. Places such as Breckenridge, Colorado will see the flakes begin to fly late Friday. Saturday could be a dicey day on the slopes with scattered snow showers and winds that clock in at 10 to 20 mph from the west with gusts up to 40 mph. Highs and lows will hold steady in the mid 30s in the mountain resort town.

Looking at the Rest of the Weekend

Heading into the weekend, the eastern U.S. will see an encore appearance of the wet weather as the moisture currently circulating in the nation's midsection pushes to the east. Warmer temperatures will mitigate the odds of wintry precipitation for most of the region.

For example, New York City will see the precipitation fall as rain on Saturday with a forecast high of 47 degrees and lows that bottom out just a few notches lower. It will be even warmer in the Big Apple on Sunday with a high of about 60 degrees. A steady rain to start the day will amount to about a quarter of an inch of accumulation for the metro area. Another quarter of an inch of rain is on tap for the overnight hours. Conditions will be a bit breezy on Sunday with winds hitting 10 to 15 mph.

However, parts of New England and upstate New York will still be at risk of seeing some snow and icy out of the weekend storm. Freezing drizzle will also be a potential issue late Friday and into early Saturday for parts of northeastern Pennsylvania, the northwestern corner of New Jersey, and into some areas of New York.

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