Christmas travel hiccups ahead with rain, winter weather to impact millions across US

NEW YORK – Millions of Americans are gearing up for Christmas travel, but inclement weather could dampen their festive plans. 

While no major storms are forecast to disrupt holiday travel entirely, rounds of rain and winter weather are expected to slow things down, especially in the eastern U.S. With nearly 120 million people expected to travel this year, it’s crucial to plan ahead and be flexible. Travelers should be prepared for potential delays on roads and at major airports.

To minimize disruptions, the FOX Forecast Center has a look at the latest weather conditions and travel advisories.

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Unwrapping your Christmas Day forecast

The FOX Forecast Center is tracking everything naughty and nice as we enter Christmas week on Monday. But how is the forecast looking for Santa’s track across the Lower 48 on Christmas Eve, and what can you expect when opening gifts on Christmas Day?

Areas seeing some naughty weather on Tuesday and Wednesday include the West as relentless rounds of rain and snow pummel states from Washington to California. This could make holiday travel tricky for many, especially while hitting the roads in the higher terrain.

Places seeing a nicer forecast for the big day are most of the central and eastern U.S. While some light rain and snow looks possible for areas such as Atlanta and Chicago on Christmas Day, any last-minute travel should not be majorly impacted. The quieter weather should allow for a more smooth travel day on Wednesday.

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A northeast now surprise?

After almost a foot of snow fell in portions of the Upper Midwest on Thursday, all eyes are on the Northeast, especially the I-95 corridor, for snow potential. 

Will our white Christmas dreams come true for snow-starved areas across the East Coast? The FOX Forecast Center said it’s possible, depending on the exact environmental conditions when this system arrives.

The snow will likely begin to fall along the I-95 corridor on Friday afternoon and continue into the overnight hours. If things come together properly, there could be an inch or two of snow from New York City to Boston. 

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However, the FOX Forecast Center said some models are showing a very different outcome, with a measly coating to an inch in most areas. This outcome would have much smaller impacts on travel across busy Northeast airports and roadways as the big weekend for holiday travel nears.

A weak storm system will bring rain and snow to the Northeast on Christmas Eve, potentially impacting areas along I-95. The FOX Forecast Center said the details of this disturbance are still developing.

Coldest air in nearly 2 years coming to Northeast

As the FOX Forecast Center eyes the potential for snow across the northeast on Friday, the Arctic plunge that follows may be most noticeable if you are headed out for any last-minute holiday shopping into the weekend. 

Temperatures begin to fall on Saturday but will be majorly felt Sunday morning through Monday with some of the coldest air the Northeast has seen in nearly two years.

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Northerly winds begin to usher in the cold as soon as Friday night, with over 200 million Americans waking up to below-average temperatures for the start of the weekend. 

Highs on Saturday are expected to reach into the 20s and 30s. However, by Sunday morning, low temperatures will drop into the teens and even single digits for interior portions of the Northeast. 

When you factor in winds gusting up to 30mph, it will feel more like the single digits or even subzero in areas such as Boston and Syracuse, New York.

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This cold continues into Monday, the start of the holiday week, too, with many waking up in the single digits. Monday morning could easily go down as the coldest start since February 2023. 

Luckily, the chill is short-lived and the warmth engulfing most of the country moves into the Northeast by Thursday.

End-of-year warmup on the way

From frigid cold to oddly mild, the FOX Forecast Center is monitoring an end-of-year warmup that will impact hundreds of millions as we wrap up 2024. 

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Forecast models suggest that a fairly strong and intense Pacific jet stream could develop around Christmas out over the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This can have many implications for the weather in the U.S.

Typically, this results in not only a warmer-than-average airmass for the Lower 48, but it can also result in a more active storm track.

The Climate Prediction Center’s extended temperature and precipitation outlook highlights this well, showing all the Lower 48 above average for the week after Christmas, and almost everyone – except southern portions of the Southwest – above average for precipitation.

High temperatures are expected to soar 10-20 degrees above average, with potentially over 200 million feeling the warmth in early 2025.