Are you dreaming of a white Christmas in Massachusetts this year? A storm on Tuesday is likely to bring some snow to the Boston area, according to the latest weather forecast. 

The WBZ weather team is issuing a Next Weather Alert for incoming snow showers on Tuesday. We especially want to highlight the potential weather impacts, given that Tuesday will be a major travel day ahead of Christmas.  

Tuesday snow

On Tuesday, a fast-moving "clipper" will pass through the upper Midwest and New England. This will not be a major storm system, but it is likely to bring some light snow accumulation to parts of our area. 

Right now, it appears as though the majority of accumulating snow will occur during the daytime on Tuesday. Snow is favored in central and northern New England, while a wintry mix may occur as you head farther south. After our snow cover was washed away after Friday's rain, Tuesday's storm will be our last chance to whiten the ground before Christmas.  

The farther northwest of Boston you live, the better chance of hitting the 1-3" snow accumulation. That said, it's looking more favorable the closer we get to Tuesday that Boston and parts of the south shore will be including in the 1"+ range as well.

This map shows our current thinking regarding snow totals on Tuesday. 

The closer you get to the Cape and Islands, the more likely we are to only see a coating to an inch.

As you can see, your odds still rise with each mile you travel northwest of Boston. The chances of plowable snow from this system remain low across most of our area, except in northern Worcester County and parts of southern New Hampshire and Vermont.

Will Massachusetts have a white Christmas? 

But the official definition of a white Christmas is one inch of snow on the ground as of 7 a.m. Christmas morning.

Right now there's about a 20% chance of that occurring in Boston, but the closer we get to 495 in Lowell and Haverhill, it could rise up to a 40% chance. Further northwest, up Route 2, it has around a 60% chance. 

Funny thing is, that is kind of similar to the historical odds of a white Christmas in our area.   

This map uses data compiled from the last 150 years or so.

Christmas travel weather

Early next week, there will be two areas to watch for impactful weather if you are traveling for Christmas. The Pacific Northwest and Northern California will undoubtedly be the spots with the most challenging travel conditions, as they will be battered by multiple waves of rain and wind.

Much of the Central U.S., east of the Rockies, will be quiet and mild.

Christmas Day weather

Things will quiet down on Christmas Eve, and there shouldn't be any travel issues for Santa and his reindeer on Wednesday night. 

Christmas Day also looks relatively quiet and seasonal with highs in the low to mid-40s. There may be a stray sprinkle at some point, but that's about it.

All in all, it seems Mother Nature has put us on the "nice list" this year.