Christmas Holiday Travel Weather Could Have Some Headaches In Parts of the West And East
- - Christmas Holiday Travel Weather Could Have Some Headaches In Parts of the West And East
Jennifer Gray December 23, 2025 at 4:35 AM
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Christmas holiday travel is in full swing, and the weather could lead to significant headaches both on the roads and in the air in parts of the country.
Tuesday
This key travel day before Christmas Eve could have more weather headaches, both in the East and West.
East: Light snow, sleet or freezing rain will blanket parts of the Northeast. The most accumulations will be in northern New England and parts of upstate New York. However, areas from northern Pennsylvania to the New York City Tri-State area and southern New England could see some light accumulations that could make some roads slushy and slippery. Otherwise, a few rain showers are possible from the Appalachians to parts of Kentucky and Tennessee.
West: A stronger storm will move into California with heavy rain and strong winds Tuesday night, first in Northern California, then spreading to Southern California overnight. Some rain and mountain snow from this system could also stream into parts of Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho and extreme western Montana.
Potential weather-related flight delays: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco (late), Los Angeles (late)
The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow.Christmas Eve
By far the biggest travel weather headaches will be in the West, but there could be a sneaky travel headache in parts of the Midwest, too.
West: Areas of heavy rain will continue in California, including the L.A. Basin and San Diego. That rain could also extend into parts of the Great Basin and Desert Southwest, including the Las Vegas Valley, possibly as far east as Phoenix late. Flash flooding is possible, particularly near recent wildfire-burned areas. Dangerous travel conditions are possible on Interstate 80 from San Francisco through the Sierra Nevada. Otherwise, rain and mountain snow is possible in parts of the Northwest and northern Rockies, again.
Central/East: Any precipitation in New England should end by early afternoon. The only other thing that might be a travel weather headache is the potential for areas of low clouds, fog and light showers in parts of the Midwest as warmer, more humid air tries moves northward. This could lead to some flight delays at major hubs, especially in the morning.
Potential weather-related flight delays: L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix (late), Chicago, Kansas City, Cincinnati
The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow.Christmas Day
The West, especially California, will continue to have challenging weather on the holiday.
West: Another potent Pacific storm could lash California with more heavy rain, strong winds and heavy Sierra snow. This valley rain, mountain snow and wind will eventually spread into the Northwest, Great Basin, Desert Southwest and Rockies.
Midwest, East: A little light snow could brush northern New England in the morning. Some light showers are possible in the Appalachians. Christmas night, some light freezing rain, sleet or snow could break out from North Dakota into northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Michigan, which could lead to slippery driving conditions.
Potential weather-related flight delays: L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago (low clouds)
The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow.Friday
The day after Christmas could have travel delays in parts of the Northeast and West.
Northeast, Great Lakes: Snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected to spread from the Great Lakes into the Northeast. The map below shows areas most likely to see this wintry precipitation, which could be a bit farther south than Tuesday's event. This could lead to significant flight delays at the major Northeast hubs, especially in the afternoon and evening, as well as slippery roads.
West: The Pacific storm will gradually wind down, but locally heavy rain showers will continue in California. Snow, possibly heavy, will extend from the Sierra into the northern Great Basin, northern Rockies and parts of the Cascades. Expect potentially challenging winter driving conditions in these areas.
Potential weather-related flight delays: L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Detroit
The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow.Saturday
For the first time in several weeks, weather in the West will quiet down considerably. However, some travel concerns are possible in the central and East.
East: Some light snow, perhaps mixed with a little sleet or freezing rain, may linger in parts of New England and upstate New York. In addition to any snow or ice that fell Friday could make for slippery travel in the region.
Central: Light snow may spread out of the Rockies into parts of the Northern Plains and upper Midwest. Strong north to northwest winds behind a cold front could blast through parts of the Northern Plains and Front Range of the Rockies.
Potential weather-related flight delays: Boston, New York, Denver
The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow.Sunday
Sunday's weather will be dominated by a cold front, which could lead to significant travel headaches in the East and South.
Northeast: For now, most of the precipitation in the Northeast may be in the form of rain, with any ice, sleet or snow confined to far northern New England. There may also be strong winds both ahead of the front in the warm air, then behind the front in the colder air. If this forecast holds, expect significant flight delays at the Northeast hubs.
Midwest: Strong, cold northwest winds will blast through the upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes and Midwest, which could make driving tricky especially on east-west roads. Heavy lake-effect snow is possible in the snowbelts from far northern Wisconsin into Upper Michigan and western Lower Michigan. Expect dangerous travel with local whiteout conditions in these areas.
South: Rain showers, possibly some thunderstorms, are expected ahead of the cold front from Virginia and the Carolinas to the northern Gulf Coast. This could produce brief heavy rain and possibly some flight delays.
Potential weather-related flight delays: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago (wind), Atlanta, Houston
The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow.
Make sure you check back often since the forecast will likely change. We hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
