Your Christmas weather forecast: Record warmth in Midwest, blizzard conditions in Heartland
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on December 25, 2023
(NEW YORK) — From a warm Christmas in the Midwest to blizzard warnings in the Heartland and rain on the West Coast, here’s what you need to know for your holiday weather forecast.
Christmas warmth
It’s a rare warm Christmas in the Midwest.
On Christmas Eve, Minneapolis reached a record high of 55 degrees, while Green Bay, Wisconsin, saw a record high of 52 degrees.
Even in International Falls, Minnesota, along the Canadian border, where the normal high is 18 degrees, the Christmas Eve temperature climbed to a record 47 degrees.
More record heat is expected on Christmas Day. Minneapolis and Green Bay are both forecast to have a balmy 52-degree Christmas.
Some of this mild weather will move to the East Coast, with temperatures in the 60s in the South and the 50s in the Northeast.
Blizzard conditions in the Heartland
Travel in the Heartland will become impossible later on Christmas Day as a winter storm pummels the region with ice and blizzard conditions.
Blizzard warnings were issued in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. Heavy snow and wind gusts up to 55 mph are expected.
Snow could top 1 foot in South Dakota and Nebraska.
Ice storm warnings and ice alerts were issued in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. Some areas could see up to half an inch of ice accumulation on trees and power lines.
This massive winter storm is expected to last through Tuesday night.
Rain in South and Northeast
Thunderstorms will hit Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina on Christmas night. Up to 4 inches of rain and flash flooding are possible.
By Tuesday evening, the storm will move up the coast, bringing heavy rain to the mid-Atlantic.
On Wednesday, the heavy rain will reach Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston. Some minor flash flooding is possible on the roads.
West Coast forecast
Washington state and Oregon will see rain on Christmas Day. A flood watch was issued for western Washington, where heavy rain could cause some river flooding.
A second storm will arrive Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, bringing heavy rain to the San Francisco area.
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