New Year’s Eve forecast: Storms may impact celebrations from NYC to Seattle
Where will Mother Nature drop the ball and deliver a wet or wintry start to the new year? Or leave some revelers shivering? AccuWeather has all the details.
The flip of the calendar to 2025 is right around the corner, and AccuWeather meteorologists have released their New Year's Eve forecast to help revelers plan for whatever Mother Nature has in store.
"We're going to be tracking multiple storms that will move across the eastern part of the United States during the final days of December and early part of January," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said.
Depending on the exact timing of all the moving parts and pieces in the atmosphere, at least one of these storms could impact New York City on Tuesday night.
"There can be a storm that arrives New Year's Eve or New Year's Day that has the potential to produce a mix of rain and snow for the Northeast, with all rain farther south," Pastelok said. "Rain could arrive before the ball drops in Times Square, but the timing of that remains in flux and something we will continue to monitor."
The 2025 New Year's Eve numerals are displayed in Times Square, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Revelers in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., could also experience Mother Nature dropping the ball on a dry forecast, with the potential for raindrops to mingle with firework displays. People in Chicago and Detroit should also keep a close watch on the forecast, as any slower movement of the storm could result in precipitation lingering past midnight.
The puck is set to drop at the NHL Winter Classic at Chicago's Wrigley Field at 5 p.m. ET on New Year's Eve. AccuWeather forecasters say there is a chance of a rain or snow shower with a high in the middle to upper 30s.
Temperatures across the Great Lakes region and Northeast are expected to be several degrees above the historical average, ranging from the 30s to lower 40s as the new year begins. However, if the year-end storm accelerates and brings colder air south sooner, thermometer readings could drop lower than current projections.
Most areas outside of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest will be free from bone-chilling cold on New Year's Eve.
"For the rest of the nation, it should be mild along the Gulf coast and in the Southeast and dry from the Southwest and into the Plains," Pastelok said.
Snow showers can fly across the high ground of the northern and central Rockies from New Year's Eve into New Year's Day with minimal accumulation.
Seattle and Portland, Oregon, are unlikely to catch a break from the wet weather that has persisted in both cities for much of December. Rain is expected to be ongoing or move in right around the start of the new year.
Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego will have some of the best weather to catch fireworks displays, with dry and mild weather expected.
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