Snow, rain, and chilly weather conditions are forecast for the northwestern United States during the holiday weekend. Weather experts have predicted that cities like Seattle could also receive some snow on Christmas Day. The northern cold, however, will not affect the southern United States. Regions in the south are expected to experience balmy weather, and temperatures may break records.
Northwest to experience chilly weather
Frigid Siberian air is expected to move across British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, toward the end of the week. This will cause temperatures to drop 15-30 degrees Fahrenheit, or 8-16 degrees Celsius, below average in the region. Weather forecasters are expecting this sudden chill to spill over to the United States by early next week, bringing chilly weather conditions to the Northwest.
Highs are only expected to be in the middle to upper 30s in Seattle during the holiday weekend. The last time the Emerald City saw snow was earlier in the month, on December 5. Toward the end of December, temperatures in Seattle usually rise to the middle 40s during the day and stay around the upper 30s at night. During the last 127 years, residents of Seattle have seen measurable snow only 9 times on Christmas Day.
Weather forecasters have advised people who plan to spend the holiday weekend outside to ideally bundle up since the temperature in Seattle may even challenge the city’s record low of 20 (from 1968) on the night of December 26. Weather authorities have also cautioned people to keep an eye out for patches of ice on the ground and be wary of frostbite.
Northeast to experience travel woes
In addition to the chilly conditions that will be settling in across the Northeast of the country this year, a good amount of rain is also expected. This may lead to travel issues in the region. Meteorologists have noted that Portland, Oregon, may also receive snowfall on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Due to the potential for severe winter weather conditions, the Governor of Oregon has declared a State of Emergency in the region. This will end on January 3.
The last time either Portland or Seattle experienced a white Christmas was over a decade ago, in 2008. The National Weather Service in Seattle said, “Warm ground temperatures combined with temperatures above freezing will make it hard for snow to not melt quickly after any brief accumulations and some locations may just see a cold rain.”