Weather patterns favor those dreaming of a white Christmas

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A string of recent storms across the United States increased the likelihood that dreams of a white Christmas will be reality, forecasters said Thursday.

A wintery storm early this week dumped between 6 and 10 inches of snow over portions of New England, AccuWeather.com reported Thursday.

The storm followed a widespread weekend storm that blanketed parts of states from northern Pennsylvania to northern New England with more than a foot of snow.

Storms also moved across the nation's midsection, adding to the snow totals in many states.

The current snow cover and the weather pattern through Christmas will determine who will see an inch of snow on the ground -- NOAA's definition of a white Christmas -- on Wednesday.

"The Rocky Mountains, Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and interior Northeast are most likely to have a White Christmas due to a well established snow cover," Brett Anderson, AccuWeather.com expert senior meteorologist, said.

The areas most likely to see a white Christmas are among areas that typically see one any given year because there's usually enough snow and cold in place by the holiday, said AccuWeather.com, based in State College, Pa.

However, there are a few places that usually have a white Christmas that won't this year because of some mixed-up weather patterns, including the eastern foothills of northeastern Colorado, eastern Wyoming and higher elevations of Arizona, Anderson said.

Snow in the area from northern Texas to Missouri -- which normally don't see a white Christmas -- could be up for grabs, AccuWeather.com said.

"The expected track of a moisture-laden storm this weekend could bring enough snow to that region that it holds on by Christmas, though odds are still less than 50/50," Anderson said.