What are the chances Virginia sees a White Christmas?

Historically, chances are slim

ROANOKE, Va – December has provided the region with a lot of cold and snow, but does that mean we'll have the white stuff when the big man comes down the chimney? A White Christmas is defined as 1" of snow on the ground or falling on Christmas Day.

Historically, the "best" place to see a White Christmas locally, at about 10-20 percent, lies along and west of I-81. It's a little better in the Highlands and along the western slopes in West Virginia. Christmas is white less than 10 percent of the time across most of Southside and Central Virginia.

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The last white Christmas in Roanoke was back in 2010 and it looks like the White Christmas drought will continue this year.

After a very wavy jet stream for much of the month which allowed for cold and snow through much of the Mid-Atlantic and South, the jet will level off a bit. When this happens, milder air tends to win out and the weather is overall quieter. After a bigger storm that will bring rain Thursday and Friday, this pattern takes over.

There could be a little snow on the back side of this for the Highlands and slopes of West Virginia, but if you want a White Christmas this year, you'll likely have to travel. Minnesota seems to be a good bet!

The only place in our region that has a VERY slim chance at a White Christmas will be in West Virginia. If you are a fan of snow, once we enter 2019, the pattern will once again get very cold and potentially very snowy.


About the Author:

Jonathan Kegges joined the News 6 team in June 2019 and now covers weather on TV and all digital platforms.