John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) After a couple of weeks of cold weather, including the season’s first two bouts with snow, Washingtonians will be breaking out the windbreakers this week, and leaving the parkas at home, as temperatures rebound to near 60 degrees during the middle part of the week. That does not bode well for the chances of a White Christmas.
The odds of DC seeing snow on Christmas are better than hitting the lottery, but it may not feel that way for people who enjoy the romance of watching the flakes fall on one of the few days of the year when most don’t have to drive in it.
Christmas Day temperatures have been above normal in five of the past six years, including a high of 51 degrees in 2016, and with mild air from the Pacific Ocean invading the region this week,there may not be enough time for the arcitc blasts to return to set up for a snowfall.
The last time DC enjoyed a White Christmas – defined by the National Weather Service as an inch or more of snow on the ground at 7 am Christmas Day – was in 2009, and that was one of only 13 we’ve seen since 1888.
Of course, everyone likes an underdog, so you can take heart in the forecast that we could see some precipitation by Saturday, with the wet weather lingering into Christmas Eve on Sunday. But as of now, there’s no truly cold air in sight, so you’re more likely to need an unbrella than a snow shovel.
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