Meteorologists say right now it looks like snow is more likely to fall when the ball drops than when singing Christmas carols.
Cold weather hasn’t been consistent enough yet to make a clear prediction on whether a white Christmas is in store this year.
That’s according to Harold Dippman, meteorologist with National Weather Services office in Gaylord.
“That’s not to say we can’t get any snow while we do have a little bit of above normal warmth here," he said. "I mean our normal high temperatures this time of year are in the thirties. So even if it’s a degree or two above normal, your temperatures are still in the thirties and you can still get snow out of that.”
Because of the warm Fall weather, Michigan might lag behind more than normal.
"The colder temperatures in the winter do lag a bit until after the new year just until we get the lakes to cool down, then we can get some colder air to really get in here so it’s not moderated by the warmer lake temperatures," he said. "I mean, those lake temperatures right now, in some spots, are still in the forties."
Dippman said consistent cold will probably begin around New Year’s. And he said if the state gets warmer falls in future years, a white Christmas can become even more unlikely.