Looking Ahead at Late December Forecast in North Texas

It's still early December, but many North Texans are thinking about Christmas week and what the weather may bring.

Some folks would enjoy some magical Christmas snow and cold. Others would prefer something more mild and tranquil.

The overall winter forecast for North Texas is for it to be warmer and drier than average. This forecast is based on this being a La Nina winter, where the jet stream pattern is influenced by cooler-than-normal water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator off the coast of South America.

Of course, even La Nina winters can have bursts of cold and wintry weather in between the mild and dry periods.

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So what does it all mean for late December into early January? Well, the forecast from the Climate Prediction Center, a branch of NOAA, for Dec. 23 through Jan. 5 calls for above -normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation for North Texas.

A more active weather pattern is likely to be found from the Northern Plains, through the Midwest and into the Northeastern United States. Holiday travelers in those areas may need to have extra patience in getting to their destinations.

If a mild and dry Christmas is not what you want, I have seen at least one long-range computer model that suggests colder-than-average temperatures for late December here in North Texas. In both cases, these outlooks can change in the coming weeks.