Will Bellingham have a white Christmas? Here’s what the latest weather forecasts say

Whatcom County saw snow on Christmas day as recently as 2021, but historically the odds that Bellingham sees snow on Christmas are relatively low. With La Niña on the horizon and a relatively cold winter expected, could Bellingham see snow on Christmas again this year? Here’s what the early forecast says.

Will it snow on Christmas in Bellingham?

If you’re hoping for snow on Christmas day in Bellingham, you might be out of luck. While Christmas is still too far away for the National Weather Service to have a forecast for the day, NWS does maintain an eight- to 14-day weather outlook for the region as a whole.

According to NWS Seattle meteorologist Dustin Guy, early signs indicate that Washington will see above average temperatures and above average precipitation over the week of Christmas.

“For the period of the 21st to the 27th, for our part of the country, right now we’re going for much above normal temperatures and above average precipitation. So basically, they’re looking at fairly mild and wet conditions for that period,” Guy said.

That means Whatcom County is likely looking at temperatures slightly higher than the typical mid-40s that it sees this time of year.

“For right now in Bellingham, the normal high is 46 so by Christmas, you’re probably going to knock a couple degrees off of that,” Guy said. “So normal highs still in the mid 40s, which is still generally too mild for snow. Lows generally are in the mid 30s, this time of year.”

If Bellingham doesn’t see snow this Christmas, it won’t be from a lack of precipitation, according to Guy.

“That would suggest just a wet Christmas,” Guy said.

However, Guy said that forecasts change relatively quickly in December, so there’s a chance the forecast changes as Christmas approaches.

“Right now, it’s just mild and wet, at least as things stand,” Guy said. “December is a very changeable month, so you’d probably want to check back.”

You can find NWS’s seven-day forecast for Bellingham on the NWS website.

What does the 10-day forecast say?

While NWS doesn’t publish a 10-day forecast, certain other weather outlets do. Currently, The Weather Channel predicts highs of 50 degrees with a 53% chance or rain and possible rain showers Dec. 24, with temperatures dropping to 41 degrees at night. On Christmas Day, its forecast calls for a high of 49 degrees, a low of 42 and a 60% chance of rain.

This story was originally published December 17, 2024 at 5:00 AM.