Will Tri-Cities see a white Christmas? Here’s the Farmers’ Almanac forecast for eastern WA

If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas in eastern Washington, your dreams may become a reality this winter.

The Farmers’ Almanac Christmas predictions forecast has arrived for Dec. 24 to Dec. 27, and many of the United States’ northern reaches are in luck.

For many of the country’s colder states, including Washington, snow is likely in the forecast for Christmas. At least in some places.

What is a white Christmas?

English writer Charles Dickens first popularized the idea of a “white Christmas” through his famous 1843 classic “A Christmas Carol.” A snow-covered Christmas is the backdrop to Ebenezer Scrooge’s ghostly visits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.

The song “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin and Bing Crosby was recorded in 1942 and has been played in households across the country every year since, cementing the idea in popular culture.

The National Weather Service defines a white Christmas as having at least one inch of snow on the ground.

According to weather data from 1991 to 2020, Benton County typically has about a 10-40% chance of a white Christmas, depending on where you are. Franklin County is primarily usually between a 10-25% chance of snow on Dec. 25.

Unlike most other states, Washington has pockets of snow chance across the spectrum. Coastal Washington often does not have a white Christmas, but northeast Washington almost always does. Each region of the state may differ, even from county to county. The Tri-Cities is surrounded by areas more likely to see snow over the holidays.

What is Tri-Cities’ Christmas weather forecast?

The Farmers’ Almanac groups Washington in the Northwest region alongside Oregon and Idaho.

“Unsettled weather slowly improves for the Christmas holiday,” the Almanac predicts.

The Almanac predicts that on Dec. 25, “there will be a white Christmas across the mountains and foothills, but not along coastal locations.”

The Climate Prediction Center’s long-range forecast for the next month doesn’t offer many additional clues, except for the fact that the area is expected to be around average for temperature and precipitation.

The average high in Tri-Cities on Christmas is 40 degrees, and the average low is 27, according to NOAA. While the area recorded four inches of snow on the ground Christmas 2017, a record for the day, there was no snow on the ground on the following year’s Christmas Day.

Since then, there have been some pretty snowy winters in the Tri-Cities. It can be considered a coin flip whether the area will live up to Charles Dickens’ and Bing Crosby’s idea of a white Christmas.

Traveling for Christmas?

Not going to be in Tri-Cities for Christmas, and want to know what the chances of a white Christmas are for your destination? Here’s what the Farmers’ Almanac predicts for other areas of the United States:

Northeast and New England

New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C.

“Looks like any wintry precipitation comes to an end, bringing clear skies for holiday events.”

Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Midwest

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin

“Looks like any wintry precipitation comes to an end, bringing clear skies for holiday events.”

Southeast

Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida

“Some cold and wet precipitation may dampen this Christmas – but never our holiday spirit! After Christmas, expect a slow clearing.”

North Central

Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana

“Looking good for a White Christmas! Possible heavy snow in Colorado and over the Plains just in time to set the mood for the holiday.”

South Central

Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico

“A stormy Christmas across New Mexico to Texas, then clearing. The Gulf Coast looks like it might be a wet holiday rather than white with rain in the forecast.”

Southwest

California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona

A very white Christmas for Utah with heavy snow forecast. Arizona looks stormy but may clear in time for opening presents.