Christmas Weather Forecasts 2019: Will It Snow In NJ?

NEW JERSEY — What are the chances for a white Christmas this year in New Jersey? The National Weather Service and Farmer's Almanac have released their Christmas weather forecast for the week and the upcoming holiday.

Looks like those snow squalls that made a mess of roads on Wednesday and even shut some schools on Thursday were just a tease. But the cold weather was not.

Read more:

• NJ Weather: 'Dangerous' Snow Squall Warning In NJ (VIDEO)
• New Jersey School Closings/Delays/Dismissals List For Thursday
  
• New Jersey Snow Totals, Town-By-Town, On Wednesday And Thursday

Before we even get to Christmas, it will be very cold. Highs on Thursday will be in the low 20s, and the temperatures could drop to 12 on Friday (see forecast below).

In New Jersey, here's what the National Weather Service says is going to happen on Christmas: It's going to be partly sunny with a high of 41 degrees. On Christmas Eve, it will be cloudy with a low around 28. Skies are expected to be clear on the holiday.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac weather forecast for Christmas partially concurs. It doesn't predict snow, but calls for "a holiday that's more wet than white." Rain is likely with temperatures in the 40s.

The Old Farmer's Almanac's forecast is similar to that of The Weather Channel, which is also calling for rain and temperatures in the 40s on Christmas. Christmas Eve is expected to be clear, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 40s, The Weather Channel predicts.

Related: Old Farmer's Almanac Issues Winter 2020 Forecast For NJ

The Old Farmer's Almanac's long-term predictions show there's a better chance of snow over the New Year's holiday than Christmas. From Dec. 28 to Dec. 31, the almanac predicts rain and wet snow.

So where can you go for some snow for Christmas?

If you crave manageable snow on Christmas — not too much but enough to bring a bit of glisten to the landscape — you want to be in the Northeast, according to the almanac's forecast. “It should be a snowy, picturesque Christmas Day,” its forecasters say.

For lots of snow, the almanac points to regions it divides into the Northeast, Lower Lakes, Upper Midwest, Heartland, High Plains, Intermountain and Alaska.

“We expect the white stuff to blanket the ground for Christmas Day!” the almanac excitedly predicts for these areas. “Fresh flakes may fall in the days before Christmas, or even on the holiday itself. Look for the Almanac’s predicted ‘parade of snowstorms’ to march across the northern tier of the country, from central Washington into the Upper Midwest.”

If you want sunshine, the Almanac says, make Christmas a travel destination to the Desert Southwest or to Hawaii.

“Elsewhere in the country, including in Florida, the Southeast, and Texas-Oklahoma, as well as along the Pacific coast (Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest), we’re predicting that Christmas will be shrouded by brief periods of rain and cooler weather overall.”

Here is the National Weather Service forecast:

• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 22. Wind chill values as low as zero. Northwest wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 12. West wind around 6 mph.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 29. Northwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 9. Calm wind.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 32. Light and variable wind.
• Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.
• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 42.
• Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.
• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.
• Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.
• Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.
• Christmas Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 41.