Late Nov 2025 – Arctic air surges from Canada blanket much of the northern United States with snow after Thanksgiving, creating temporary snow cover across the Midwest, Northeast and parts of the South [1].

Mid‑Dec 2025 – Meteorologists expect the wavy north‑south jet stream to flatten into a smoother west‑east flow, acting as a barrier that limits further Arctic air intrusions [1].

Dec 15 2025 – Forecast models show a series of atmospheric rivers will begin this week and continue through Christmas, delivering warm, wet conditions to most of California after a three‑week dry spell in the Bay Area [5].

Dec 15‑22 2025 – The Climate Prediction Center projects heavy rain and snow from Dec 19‑22 across western Washington to central California, with strong winds and high‑elevation snow expected [5].

Dec 16 2025 – NOAA forecasts above‑average temperatures for most of the contiguous United States for the remainder of December, except the far north, and predicts milder weather and rain will melt existing snow in the Midwest and Northeast [1].

Dec 16 2025 – Model ensembles show the highest chance of a white Christmas (≥1 in snow on Dec 25 morning) in the Mountain West, northern Plains, Upper Midwest, northern New England and Great Lakes snow belts [1].

Dec 17 2025 – A flattening jet stream reduces deep cold snaps, leading the CPC to project nationwide above‑average warmth with only the extreme north near seasonal normals [6].

Dec 17 2025 – The CPC outlook calls for below‑average precipitation in the eastern U.S., wetter conditions in the West, and the greatest snow chances in the intermountain West, northern New England, the Great Lakes, upper Midwest and northern Plains [6].

Dec 17 2025 – High‑wind warnings cover much of the central Plains through Thursday‑Friday, while Monday Dec 22 and Tuesday Dec 23 are identified as the best travel days; Northern California is slated for rain from Sunday through Christmas [6].

Dec 22‑23 2025 – NWS lead meteorologist Matt Mehle warns that a stronger storm system arriving Dec 22‑23 could disrupt holiday travel in the Bay Area, bringing heavy rain north of the Golden Gate and snow above 7,000 ft [5].

Dec 22 2025 – The National Weather Service issues a winter storm watch for elevations above 5,500 ft in California, forecasting up to four feet of snow, gusts of 45‑50 mph and potential white‑out conditions, prompting officials to urge travelers to delay trips [4].

Dec 22 2025 – AccuWeather predicts record warmth across roughly two dozen central‑U.S. states, with temperatures 15‑30 °F above historical averages and several cities poised to break daily records [4].

Dec 22 2025 – Alaska braces for extreme cold into early January, with dangerous wind chills and possible cold‑weather advisories affecting vulnerable populations [4].

Dec 22 2025 – Two atmospheric‑river events bring heavy rain to California, Sierra Nevada snow, and a flood watch for the Sacramento Valley, raising flood and mudslide risks in burn‑scarred areas [4].

Dec 23 2025 – The First Alert Weather Team designates Tuesday a First Alert Weather Day for the New York area as light snow arrives late Monday and transitions to rain, threatening travel delays during the holiday rush [4].

Dec 25 2025 – Winter weather alerts span more than a dozen states on Christmas Day, including a blizzard warning and central winter advisory in Alaska, a winter storm warning with up to 5 ft of snow in central California, and heavy snow and wind warnings in Idaho, Montana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan [3].

Dec 30 2025 – AccuWeather forecasts a cold Northeast and rain in California for New Year’s Eve, with Arctic air pushing temperatures 5‑10 °F below normal across the Midwest, Great Lakes, Northeast and mid‑Atlantic through Friday [2].

Dec 31 2025 (New Year’s Eve) – Snow showers and lake‑effect snow blanket the Midwest, Great Lakes, Northeast and Appalachians into New Year’s Day, with a foot or more possible in parts of Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York, while California receives rain and Pasadena event‑goers are advised to bring rain gear [2].

Jan 1 2026 (New Year’s Day) – Travel disruptions from lingering snow showers and lake‑effect snow continue into New Year’s Day, though overall conditions improve for most of the country [2].

2025 Holiday Season (overall) – Approximately 122 million Americans plan to travel at least 50 miles from home, with the TSA expecting to screen about 44.3 million passengers and domestic air travel reaching record volumes, prompting officials to stress planning and new ID‑verification programs [4][6][7].

Ongoing – NOAA defines a “white Christmas” as at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas morning, a benchmark used by forecasters to assess regional snow‑cover odds [1].