Who will have a wet, white or a whiteout Christmas? Find your forecast here
While most of the country won't have a white Christmas, a handful of states in the Midwest and Rocky Mountains are expected to get heavy snow this weekend, forecasters say.
Several states from Arizona to the Dakotas will likely get snow Saturday and Sunday, AccuWeather meteorologists said, potentially complicating travel in the region leading up to Christmas.
This weekend, snow is expected in Colorado, and mountainous areas in the western half of the state were bracing for up to a foot-and-a-half of snow, forecasters said. Travel in the region will be "extremely treacherous" or impossible over the weekend, AccuWeather forecasters warned.
The storm will migrate north, bringing heavy snow and potentially "treacherous" conditions to Nebraska and South Dakota, Accuweather reported on Sunday. Parts of both states were placed under a blizzard warning early Sunday.
In parts of Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, heavy thunderstorms expected Christmas Eve could also complicate holiday travel.
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Elsewhere in the country, travel conditions ahead of Christmas are expected to be favorable, AccuWeather said. While the Great Lakes region and much of the northeast will have a dry Christmas, a swath of states stretching from Michigan to Virginia could get rain starting Tuesday, forecasters say.
On Christmas, storms are also expected to bring rain later in the day in the Pacific Northwest, after weaker rain on Sunday.
More Americans will travel for this month's Christmas and New Year's holidays compared to last year, according to AAA. Fair weather across most of the country means there likely will be less travel disruptions for many, forecasters predict.
This month, AAA estimated more than 115 million Americans will travel 50 miles from their homes or more around the holidays, representing a 2% increase from last year.
Parts of Nebraska, South Dakota under blizzard warning
A winter storm could unleash heavy snow and even "all-out blizzard" conditions in parts of Nebraska and South Dakota beginning the holiday weekend and stretching through Tuesday, AccuWeather reported. Forecasters warned the storm could disrupt holiday travel plans in the last week of December.
A large portion of the region will likely be getting a white Christmas, and the snow's timing could also complicate plans for millions traveling through Denver, as well as Kansas City, Omaha and Minneapolis.
Winter weather advisories were also in place across Colorado, and forecasters warned of slippery road conditions through Sunday because of the snow, the National Weather Service said.
Much of Colorado was expecting 5-10 inches of snow through Sunday, and AccuWeather meteorologists anticipated localized maximums of as much as 28 inches.
Through Sunday night, snowy weather will stretch northeast across a mid-section of the country, AccuWeather forecasters say.
Early Saturday, the Four Corners region − comprising parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado − was the first to get snow.
Thunderstorms in Dallas, Houston, Louisiana
Parts of the Gulf Coast region, including East Texas and Louisiana, up through Missouri, are expecting heavy rain Christmas Eve,as thunderstorms roll across the region, bringing much-needed rain, AccuWeather said.
Rain showers in the Mississippi Valley were expected to continue through Sunday.
Flooding was possible in major cities including Dallas and Houston, and storms unloading inches of rain over a short period could complicate travel for those driving along interstates 10, 20, 30, 35, 40, 49 and 55, AccuWeather said.
Excessive rainfall on Sunday is most likely in north-central Texas and southern Oklahoma, the National Weather Service said Saturday.
Rainstorms across Northeast after Christmas
The eastern U.S. is expecting a dry and snow-free Christmas, but rainstorms will likely bring some moisture to the region beginning late Monday and Tuesday.
Beginning Monday evening, the same storm that brought snow to the High Plains was expected to deliver rain to cities including Detroit and Columbus, Ohio, AccuWeather forecasters said.
On Tuesday, the storm system was expected to continue slowly moving east, spreading rain to the entire East Coast by Wednesday, including states stretching from Massachusetts down to North Carolina, AccuWeather said.
Christmas Day rain in Pacific Northwest
A little bit of rain and mountain snow was possible in the Pacific Northwest on Christmas Eve, the National Weather Service said.
The likelihood of rain in the region increases on Christmas Day − there is a 100% chance of rain Monday night − according to the National Weather Service. Rainfall totaling half an inch are possible, the weather service said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Weather forecast for Christmas Eve, Christmas day: Who will see snow?
