People in the North East woke up to snow on Saturday on the first day of winter, despite news that a white Christmas is not expected later this week.
Snowfall totals ranged from a dusting to six inches, with the highest total – 9.4 inches – in Milton, Massachusetts. Snow showers moved to the coast thanks to a strong cold front hanging over the region Saturday afternoon, with daytime highs remaining 10-20 degrees below average.
More snow is possible Saturday night in parts of the Appalachians and the Great Lakes, where scattered Winter Alerts remained in effect into the afternoon. Up to two more inches of snow could fall in these areas. Wind gusts of up to 35 km/h are also expected on Saturday.
Due to the cold temperatures, freeze warnings are in effect for northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia on Saturday night. Cold weather warnings are also in effect for Saturday evening in remote parts of New York, western Massachusetts and northeastern Pennsylvania.
Rain and snow falls in the northwest
On the other side of the country, heavy rain is falling in northern California all the way to Washington State, and mountain snow is falling from the Cascades to the Sierra Nevada, eventually making its way to the northern Rockies.
Rain and mountain snow will continue across the region as low-pressure systems move onshore. At higher elevations, expect a few inches of fresh snow, while total rainfall through Sunday will range from 0.5 to 3 inches.
The wind is also blowing in the west, with gusts of up to 65 km/h possible. Warnings are in effect for parts of California, Oregon and Wyoming.
People walk across Bow Bridge after a snowfall in New York City’s Central Park on Saturday.
It’s not winter everywhere in the US
Temperatures across the western half of the country will rise 10-25 degrees above average on Saturday, with record highs possible in Phoenix, Tucson, Palm Springs and Las Vegas.
This warmer air will spread across the Plains on Sunday, with highs that could be as much as 30 degrees warmer than average. Possible records on Sunday include Tucson, San Jose, Phoenix and Palm Springs.
The warm air will gradually shift across the lower 48 US states throughout the week, with highs 10-20 degrees above average in the western and central US by Monday.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be warm, with highs at or above average across the country. Temperatures will be as much as 20 degrees above average in some places in the Plains and Mississippi Valley.
The warmer weather likely means there won’t be a white Christmas, but a snowy holiday is possible in some parts of the country, and a wintry Christmas Eve is even more likely.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
