By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist
December 15,2015; 9:20PM,EST
The weather during the week of Christmas will closely mirror the weather during much of December thus far in the eastern and western United States.
People traveling in the East will not have to pack much cold weather gear, while a snow shovel and tire chains may come in handy for parts of the West. Many people across the nation will need a good set of windshield wipers, working headlights and an umbrella for their travel ventures. Others in the Central states may need to keep an eye out for severe weather.
Cold and Snow in the West, Record Warmth in the East
The weather could have major impact on the airport hubs of San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and New York City next week.
During the fourth week of December, storms from the Pacific will continue to bombard the West with outbreaks of cold air reaching southward toward Mexico and eastward through the Rockies.
Meanwhile, the week leading up to Christmas will bring another surge of warmth with areas of dense fog with patchy rain from near the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Seaboard.
JUMP TO: More Storms With Snow, Rain to Hit West | Weather Battle Zone to Set Up Over Plains | East to Bask in Warmth, Crawl Through Fog
More Storms With Snow, Rain to Hit West
Rounds of heavy rain will drench the West Coast and the Interstate 5 corridor from northern California to western Washington. Seattle, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, are among the cities likely to be impacted by adverse travel conditions at times next week.
Waves of cold air will continue to settle southward over the West.
Enough rain can fall at times to not only slow travel, but also continue the risk of flooding and mudslides from the western slopes of the Cascades to the shoreline of the Pacific.
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There is the likelihood of one or two storms dipping well to the south along the Pacific coast with significant rain coastal and low snow levels in Southern California as well. Los Angeles and San Diego could experience travel issues on one or more days next week.
During the middle of next week, heavy snow could take aim at on the Colorado Rockies, including the Denver area.
Weather Battle Zone to Set Up Over Plains
From the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic coast, the vast majority of travelers will not have to contend with snow or ice. However, severe weather could be a threat.
In portions of the Plains to the Mississippi Valley the storm track will allow episodes of rain and snow in the north and the potential for locally gusty thunderstorms in the South.
Areas most likely to get a dose or two of accumulating snow next week will stretch from western Nebraska to northern Minnesota.
Building chill in the West and returning warmth in the East will add extra volatility to the atmosphere over the middle of the nation next week.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity, "There is the potential for an outbreak of severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes, from parts of Texas to perhaps as far north as Illinois on Christmas Eve."
East to Bask in Warmth, Crawl Through Fog
At least two storm systems will sweep from the South Central states to the Great Lakes region bringing rain and warmth for much of the eastern half of the nation during next week.
The rainy rounds can be enough to slow down travel on the many major highway corridors of I-10, I-20, I-40, I-80, I-81, I-90 and I-95.
However, the prevailing and recurring warmth will also present some significant problems.
"The major concern for travelers will be episodes of fog that could be dense enough to impact airlines and drivers from the Midwest to the East Coast during part of the week of Christmas," AccuWeather Chief Long-range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
Major airport hubs that could be impact by foggy episodes include Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.
"There is a chance the fog will retreat northward and out of the picture after Wednesday from the lower Mississippi and Ohio valleys to the southern and middle-Atlantic coasts," Pastelok added.
Locally dense fog could still be a problem around parts of the Great Lakes and New England through the week.
Motorists are reminded to turn on their headlights when driving during rainy and/or foggy conditions, even in the daytime, to increase your visibility to other drivers.
Matthew White
My hopes are down for a white Christmas but I definitely know winter's gonna come which will be great. smile emoticon
Zack Hodgson ·
No
more warmth please. We in the East are all sick of the warmth. It needs
to be forced out for good w/ no more ridging in the Atlantic with
storms instead raging in the Atlantic. Warmth always ruins Christmas.
Give the record warmth back to the West and leave them high and dry
until March. The West has already had it's limit of cold after this
week. A perfect jet stream would go up into AK and then drop all the way
down to FL.
Bill Ross ·
This
payback for the extreme cold winters of 2014 and 2015, and 2014 had no
summer around the gt lakes. Hopefully, 2016 will have the hottest
summer ever!
Brent Richardson ·
LOL
your funny bro but your wrong. The real cold will starts in 3 weeks and
La Nina is coming which means cold summer next year and brutal winter
next year.
Bill Ross ·
Brent
Richardson you are wrong....La Nina's usually bring hot summers (see
1988, 1999, 2007, 2011). it is years with developing El Ninos which
bring cold summers, like in 1972, 1982, 1986, 1994, 2009, 2014, 2015.
Bill Ross ·
Brent
Richardson also La Ninas can bring mild winters too, like in 1999.
2008 was mild too in terms of temperature (not snowfall). most brutal
cold winters in our area result form neutral ENSO or weak El Nino's.
Both 2014 and 2015 were weak El Nino's, along with 1977, 1978, 1996,
2003. 1994 was neutral ENSO.
Melody Lanzatella ·
Brent Richardson But Didn't They Say The Warmth Would Last Over 2016?
Zack Hodgson ·
Other
warm La Ninas besides 98-99 and 07-08 were 99-00 and 11-12. The average
La Nina seems to bring warm winters to the Southeast.
Bill Ross ·
Zack
Hodgson yes 11-12 was a fabulous winter - especially March. and a nice
summer followed. 99-00 was also mild winter & early spring, but
2000 had no summer.
Murray Poole ·
Us in southern Ontario love the heat. No white s---- this year,
Brent Richardson ·
It's
coming. El Nino is weakening right now and the pattern is about to
shift in the beginning of Jan. This winter will be repeat from last
year.
Bill Ross ·
Brent
Richardson no way not even close. It won't stay this warm in Jan, Feb,
Mar, but it wont do a 2014 or 2015 either. I see 2016 as another 1983,
1998, 2007 or 2010.
Brent Richardson ·
LOL
3 MORE WEEKS, SAY GOOD BYE TO WARMTH, BRUTAL WINTER IS COMING AND IT'S
GOING TO LAST TILL MAY 2016. SO MCGRANE, SUCK IT UP BOY
Kenneth Pratt ·
It's
about 20 degrees colder than 2 days ago, but still 12 deg above normal.
I'm not going to complain until we have a solid week 10 deg _below_
normal.
Ralph W. DiBacco
Dang
it! As a lifelong resident of New England, I was hoping for ONE more
White Christmas. There's a good chance I will be moving to Phoenix next
Fall. No White Christmases there.
For the eastern U.S., this is the BEST December EVER
Bill Ross ·
looks like it, but don't jinx it, there are 16 more days to go! what I really want is the hottest July and August EVER!
Grant McGuire ·
Honestly, I highly doubt we'll any "big winter" before Jan.
Barbara Jann ·
Works at Retired
In
your opinion. I see it as the worst December here in VA. Feels nothing
like Christmas which is hurting sales at some local businesses. Ski
resorts are unable to open and will suffer financial losses if the
slopes are closed over the holidays. Their seasonal employees can't work
as well. This is about more than just what weather people like or
dislike and how low their heating bills are. People's livelihoods are
negatively affected and that doesn't make this the best December ever
for them.
Barbara
Jann Isn't VA too far south for winter this early? Only an extreme
cold December like 1976, 1989, or 2000 would have a good skiing December
in VA.
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