White Christmas In MA? Frigid Christmas More Likely

MASSACHUSETTS — No one is really dreaming of a bitterly cold Christmas.

Unfortunately, that's likely what we'll have this year, according to long-range forecasts issued Dec. 15 by the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center.

According to the forecast, southern New England has between a 70 and 90 percent chance of below-average temperatures during the Christmas weekend. There's a similar chance of frigid temperatures over the New Year's weekend.

What's average? In the Boston area, it's an average monthly daytime high of about 36 degrees, and about 31 degrees on average in the Worcester area.

Current forecasts from AccuWeather and the National Weather Service are calling for daytime highs in the low to mid-20s for the Worcester area, and upper 20s around Boston starting Christmas Eve. The lows are chilling: 23 in Boston on Christmas, and 13 in Worcester.

It could be worse: portions of the upper Midwest in Michigan and Minnesota will be around zero on Christmas Eve and Christmas.

The major cooldown will come after a possible chance of snow before the holiday weekend.

"Mainly dry weather through the middle of next week, then a pattern change favoring a potential Northeast winter storm," National Weather Service forecasters said Friday morning.

According to AccuWeather, it could snow Thursday into Friday and Christmas Eve in both the Boston and Worcester areas — but exact details likely won't firm up until later in the week.