What are the chances of a white Christmas in Maryland this year?
The chance of a white Christmas in Baltimore, central Maryland, and the Eastern Shore remains very low.
Historically, the Baltimore area averages between a 20% and 40% chance of at least a coating of snow on the ground according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS says the last time Baltimore had snowfall on Christmas was in 2002. In 2009, there was snow on the ground from a previous storm.
The biggest snowfall the city had on Christmas was in 1909, when it accumulated to 9.3 inches.
The weather pattern may become more favorable for wintry weather in our region as we head into the week after Christmas, as everyone travels back to Maryland and gets back into a post-holiday routine.
The WJZ First Alert Weather Team will keep you updated.
Snow in the Baltimore area
We've already had two measurable snows at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport this month.
Counting earlier sleet and snow in other parts of northern Maryland, there have already been a few winter weather events.
However, the pattern that brought such cold and occasionally snowy weather to the Mid-Atlantic is beginning to relax.
Weather leading up to Christmas
Temperatures are going to vary quite a bit over the next several days as brief but strong blasts of cold air impact the region.
Temperatures will be warmest on Friday morning as heavy rain and storms move through, followed by a blast of cold air that arrives during the day on Friday. While the weekend begins cold, Sunday afternoons feature temperatures in the upper 40s and lower 50s.
Another blast of cold weather moves in Sunday evening. It'll be a cold and breezy Ravens home game at M&T Bank Stadium Sunday evening as temperatures fall into the 30s.
Winter cold settles in as we begin Christmas week. There could even be a few light rain or snow showers late Monday into Tuesday. No accumulation is expected.
Temperatures trend warmer on Christmas Eve.
Parts of the Baltimore area are forecast to warm past 50 degrees on Wednesday afternoon.
Another shot of chilly air arrives around Christmas Day. This fresh round of chill will be accompanied by a storm system.
However, the exact track and timing remain a bit uncertain. At this time, it appears that this system will primarily be a rain-maker as it moves through our region. The wettest weather may remain south of Maryland. Any snow will be spotty and mainly confined to higher elevations of far western Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia.
You can get the latest forecast from WJZ here.