WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (UPI) — The El Niño weather pattern will likely prevent much of the United States from experiencing a white Christmas this year as warmer air moves through the country.
About two-thirds of the United States will be experiencing weather too warm for snowfall to occur. The El Niño weather pattern prevents cold arctic air from flowing southward by strengthening a west-to-east jet stream that delivers mild Pacific air to the United States.
“There’s just not going to be enough cold air to support accumulating snow,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Anderson writes. “The combination of a mild weather pattern and warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures strongly argues against accumulating snow in areas from Washington, D.C., to Boston.”
Even if snow does fall, the warm ground would likely cause it to melt quickly. The western half of the country has at least a 35 percent chance of a relatively mild Christmas. The National Weather Service is expected to provide a detailed forecast about a week before the holiday.
The greatest chances of a snow-covered Christmas Day will be in northern Maine. North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota may also experience a white Christmas, while the interior West and the Rockies have a higher chance. Chicago and Minneapolis also have the possibility of snow.
U.N. scientists in November said 2015 will be the hottest year on record. Temperature data suggests western North America, and large parts of South America, Africa and southern and eastern Eurasia have witnessed the most dramatic heat spells.
“The state of the global climate in 2015 will make history as for a number of reasons. Levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached new highs,” WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said in a press release. “It is probable that the 1 degree Celsius threshold will be crossed. This is all bad news for the planet.”
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