If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas in Western Pennsylvania this year, you’ll have to keep dreaming.
There is no snow in the forecast for Thursday, according to Andrew Kienzle, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon.
Highs in Western Pennsylvania are expected to be in the upper 40s — which will be around 10 degrees above average for Christmas Day itself in the area, he said.
Low temperatures will be right around the freezing mark of 32 degrees, Kienzle said.
Toward the Appalachian Mountains in Eastern Westmoreland County, temperatures will be slightly colder due to the higher elevations, he said, with highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 20s.
According to the Pittsburgh Climate Page on the NWS website, he said the average high temperature on Christmas Day is about 38 degrees, with the average low for Christmas night sitting around 24 degrees. These numbers are measured at the Pittsburgh International Airport, he said.
“It is above average, but given the last couple years, it’s not super uncommon,” Kienzle said. “We’re in the midst of a warm pattern in late December, which is allowing higher temperatures to remain elevated above normal.”
The highs for the last five Christmas Days are comparable to the predicted highs in the upper 40s for this year’s holiday:
- 41 degrees in 2024
- 60 degrees in 2023
- 13 degrees in 2022
- 58 degrees in 2021
- 23 degrees in 2020
Specifically 2021 and 2023, according to Kienzle, were warmer than this Christmas will be.
Though there’s no snow expected for Thursday, he said there is a slight chance of rain.
The highest probability for rain in Western Pennsylvania will be in the early morning hours on Christmas, with a 40-60% chance, Kienzle said.
“Right now it looks like I’d expect the best chance of rain really to be before sunrise,” he said, “and then trail off heading into 10 or so in the morning.”
The sunrise is predicted to happen at 7:41 a.m. on Christmas Day.
