With the popular winter holidays approaching, many are hoping for some snowfall to make the season special. Virginia weather is hard to predict because of the diverse landscapes and above average sea-level. However, meteorologists predict that Virginians will face lower temperatures in comparison to past years. The expected height of the cold temperatures will take place in the months of December, January, and February.

Snow is usually a very rare occurrence in Southern states because of the humidity in the air, even when temperatures drop below freezing. Precipitation is anticipated to be higher as well, which means freezing rain, hail, and other dangerous weather conditions. But what about a white Christmas? Historically, chances are slim. The last time Virginians experienced a white Christmas was in 2009. Although it didn’t actually snow on Christmas, the snow was leftover from a historic blizzard that hit the East coast. It still counts in some way.

Winter break simply wouldn’t be the same without all of the fun snow activities. We might get snow, but will it be the fluffy powder that is perfect for skiing? Or the icy consistency that is great for snowballs? It’s too early to tell what type of snow will actually fall, but Virginia is not new to the thin snow that turns into slush on the sides of the road. What tends to happen is it’ll snow for a couple hours, and about 2-3” of it will accumulate, and in the early hours of the morning, it’ll all have melted and turned into this unpleasant brown mush that is a pain to drive in. A real and legitimate blizzard hasn’t happened in the DC area since “Snowmageddon” in the early 2000s.

Snowfall is one of the best qualities of the winter season. East coast residents should expect to have some form of snowy precipitation this winter season. But will Virginians also be shoveling their driveways this year?