Will PA See A White Christmas In 2022? Here Are The Chances

PENNSYLVANIA — Over the past several years, the dream of a full-on "White Christmas" in Pennsylvania remained a dream. But each year, the Keystone State's winter watchers can hope, and longterm forecasts can help them determine the likelihood.

While the idealized vision of a white Christmas includes snow falling on the holiday, scientific metrics don't require that. It's officially a white Christmas when there's at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas morning, according to federal climate officials. To determine the probability of a white Christmas, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center looked at historical data from 1981-2010.

The probability of a white Christmas varies throughout Pennsylvania. Philadelphia only has about an 11 percent chance, while some of the state's northern regions have a 2-out-of-3 shot at snow on the ground. See the interactive map the NOAA published last year.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts large swaths of the country could see snow during Christmas week. The long-range forecast for most of Pennsylvania suggests that rain showers will turn to snow flurries around Christmas. Northwestern Pennsylvania has the state's best chance for a white Christmas, with The Old Farmer’s Almanac expecting snow showers and colder temperatures leading up to the holiday.

If you’re traveling:

People living in the Northeast, Lower Lakes, Upper Midwest, Heartland, High Plains, and Intermountain regions, along with Alaska, can all expect to see snow showers and colder temperatures in the days leading up to Christmas.

Rain showers in the Atlantic Corridor, Appalachians and Ohio Valley are expected to turn to snow showers around Christmas.

The Deep South, Texas and Oklahoma are expected to see sunny skies around Christmas. Temperatures may be chilly in the Deep South, but milder in Texas and Oklahoma.

The Desert Southwest could see a mix, with snow showers in the eastern half of the region and rain in the west.

Rain in the Pacific Northwest is expected to occasionally turn to wet snow, accompanied by chilly temperatures. The Pacific Southwest is expected to see only rain.

The eastern and western islands of Hawaii should expect rain showers for Christmas, with isolated showers occurring in the central part of the archipelago.