Pittsburgh White Christmas 2023 Probability: Weather Service Weighs In

PITTSBURGH, PA — Thirty-one percent. For more than 30 years, Pittsburgh has had a 31 percent probability of there being an inch of snow or more on the ground on Christmas day.

That's according to the National Weather Service, which has unveiled an interactive map of historical trends across the country for a White Christmas. The map above shows the historic probability of there being at least an inch of snow on the ground on Dec. 25 based on data from 1991 through 2020.

"Alaska. Minnesota. Maine. Upstate New York. The Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Practically anywhere in Idaho. And of course, the Rockies or the Sierra Nevada Mountains," weather service officials stated on the map's website. "These are the parts of the United States where weather history suggests you want to be if you're looking for the best chance of a white Christmas."

The weather service has yet to issue a forecast for Crhistmas Day. State College-based meteorological service AccuWeather has yet to issue its national white Christmas forecast, but meteorologist Paul Pastelok told USA Today that aside from the mountain areas, he doesn’t expect a lot of snow at Christmastime in the East.

Locally, AccuWeather expects a relatively balmy high of temperature of 53 degrees and partly sunny skies in Pittsburgh on Christmas day. The Weather Channel predicts a chance of showers and a high of 49.