Michigan: Here’s Where to Expect a White Christmas
Everybody talks about getting a white Christmas, but what actually is a white Christmas? According to the National Weather Service, the actual definition for a white Christmas is one inch of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. Dec. 25.
While a white Christmas in Michigan seemed impossible a few weeks ago, judging by long-term projections, the possibility is getting a little bit higher. This is thanks to a storm system currently moving into the Northeast and another snow-maker in the extended forecast.
According to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the best shot for seeing a white Christmas, historically, are in parts of the upper peninsula of Michigan, Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Wyoming, Wisconsin, upstate New York, the Allegheny mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and the western Rockies and Sierra mountains. No big surprise here, as those areas are in higher elevations.
Looking at another areas, Almanac.com has come out with new projections on getting a white Christmas. They say, based on historical observation, “Northern Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Michigan, and Wisconsin can practically guarantee a blanket of snow on Christmas Day, since snow begins falling earlier in the month and these northern areas have freezing temperature to avoid snow melt. In Minneapolis, it’s an 80% chance. Over northern Michigan and especially the Upper Peninsula, as well as northern Minnesota, 3 out of every 4 years on average feature a white Christmas. Even greater odds exist over northern North Dakota.”
There’s also an interactive map from NOAA that you can use to look up your town HERE. I zoomed in on the major cities in lower Michigan, and we have about a 50% chance of a white Christmas. Finally, according to the extended forecast via Weather.com. For Christmas day, Detroit has a 14% chance of snow, Lansing has a 13% chance of snow and Grand Rapids has a 35% chance of snow. That might not seem like much, but it’s higher than it was a few weeks ago. I personally don’t like driving in the white stuff, so I would be totally fine with not having a white Christmas.