Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Who Will Wake Up to a White Christmas This Year?

It's Christmas Eve and we are all wondering who will wake up to a white Christmas this year. It has been uncertain over the last few days what the weather patterns here in the US would bring to us for Christmas Day. Here in the northeast, we experienced a very soggy Christmas Eve. The rain lasted all day and was heavy at times, putting a slight damper on some last minute Christmas shopping plans. Despite all the rain, there were still a lot of shoppers out checking those final items off their Christmas shopping lists. Now that we are well into Christmas Eve and Christmas is only a few hours away a more accurate forecast can be made.

A Christmas Eve storm brought snow to the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies today, and it will bring a white Christmas to some. This newest winter storm has been named Eris and tomorrow it will bring snow to Utah, Wyoming, southeast Idaho and western Colorado. Residents in these mid-western states will have a white Christmas this year, but along with a white Christmas comes tricky travel conditions. If you are traveling on the following interstates on Christmas Day, please take your time and be safe:

Interstate 15: Butte, Montana into Utah
Interstate 25: Southern Montana into Wyoming
Interstate 70: Colorado high country into Utah
Interstate 80: Nebraska panhandle into Utah

Have you heard that Hawaii can get blizzards on Christmas Eve too? This Christmas Eve brought blizzard like conditions to Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The last time a blizzard warning was issued for Hawaii was in 2007, making this only the second blizzard warning issued for Hawaii since 1986. Even though these conditions didn't affect populated areas of the Big Island, it is pretty interesting to hear that some unexpected areas can have a white Christmas too!

From our family here at StormTrackerWx to yours, Happy Holidays and have a happy and safe New Year!