It’s starting to look a lot like White Christmas Eve as the snow falls in New York City and DC

On By Littum

Some residents in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic woke up to a white Christmas Eve Tuesday morning.

About 20 million people are under winter weather warnings in the regions, which received up to an inch of snow. Washington, DC and New York City could see an inch of snow, while parts of northern New England could see 2 to 6 inches of snow, especially in the mountains of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Metropolitan hubs that will be affected by this storm system include Washington DC, Philadelphia and Burlington, Vermont.

The National Weather Service advises people who must drive to do so slowly and safely, as the snow can be slippery.

Christmas Eve travel was briefly snarled when the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop for all American Airlines flights on Tuesday. The airline said a “supplier technology issue” was the cause of the ground stop and not weather.

But can the residents of the area expect a white Christmas? It seems unlikely. This snow is expected to last about two hours and move out quickly, with improving conditions early Tuesday afternoon. As of Tuesday morning, the Christmas Day forecast for the Northeast is cool but dry.

Freezing temperatures seen in the Northeast are also expected to ease.

“Much of the East Coast region will see a moderate trend in cold temperatures heading into Christmas Eve as the Arctic surface high moves offshore and milder air from the Ohio Valley moves eastward over the region,” the National Weather Service said.

People enjoy a snowy morning in Prospect Park in New York City on December 21, 2024.
People enjoy a snowy morning in Prospect Park in New York City on December 21, 2024. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

To the west, a storm system continues, bringing rain and low-altitude mountain snow to the region.

About 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected along the coast from the Pacific Northwest to central California, while the Sierra Nevada could see up to a foot of snow.

Residents are advised to stay away from the coast, where “hazardous and life-threatening beach conditions” have been seen with coastal flooding, according to the weather service’s Bay Area field office.

The Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed Monday as a result of large storm surges, sending three people into the sea and leaving them with minor injuries.

By Christmas Day, this storm will bring some snow to the Rocky Mountains as the next storm system moves into the West Coast from the Pacific.


Mirna Alsharif

Mirna Alsharif is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

Kathryn Prociv

Kathryn Prociv is a senior meteorologist and producer for NBC News.

Antonio Planas, Marlene Lenthang and Jay Blackman the contribution.