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

NEW JERSEY — For more than half a century, the dream of a full-on "White Christmas" in New Jersey has remained a dream. But each year, the Garden State's winter watchers can hope, and longterm forecasts can help them determine the likelihood.

White Christmas has multiple definitions. When it comes to snow falling and blanketing the land, New Jersey's last white Christmas was in 1966, according to NorthJersey.com. Federal climate officials, however, define it as having at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas morning.

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. That puts that likelihood of an inch or more of snow on the ground on Christmas Day on the low end, but it's a bit more probable in northwestern New Jersey.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts large swaths of the country could see snow during Christmas week. The long-range forecast for New Jersey suggests that rain showers will turn to snow flurries around Christmas.

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.