Statewide Iowa — The odds of most Iowans having a white Christmas are increasing by the minute.
While the holiday is still ten days away, the snow falling across much of the state today, December 15th, will be followed by very cold weather, so whatever falls now will likely stick around at least until December 25th. Meteorologist Jim Lee, at the National Weather Service, says the expected snow accumulation amounts vary across the state.
Almost all of Iowa will see at least some snow today, though the southern few tiers of counties may only get flying flurries.
When put on the spot, Lee was hesitant to make a prediction about what percentages of the state may, indeed, have a white Christmas.
According to the Iowa Storm Chasing Network, Iowans who live along and north of Highway 20 have a 61-to-75% chance of having snow on the ground on December 25th, based on climatology, while areas between Highway 20 and Highway 30 have a white Christmas probability between 51-to-60%. ISCN says, based on historical data, from Highway 30 to Highway 34, there’s a 41-to-50% chance, while from Highway 34 to the Missouri border, there is only a 26-to-40% probability of a white Christmas.
