December 13, 2012
Story by 89 WLS reporter Mary Frances Bragiel
(CHICAGO) In less than two weeks Christmas will arrive. But the snow may not, according to some meteorologists.
Earlier this week, Chicago broke a record for the longest stretch between measurable snowfall - some 281 days.
At this point, snow is not in the immediate forecast, nor is it in the forecast for Christmas day.
Weather Channel Meteorologist Ed Levy says, "if the models hold true, the lake effect snows will be a problem just to the East of the Chicago area. But right now, we don't see any major storm systems."
A white Christmas, according to meteorologists, is defined by at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25th.
Levy points to a big ridge of high pressure over portions of the Great Lakes back into the central part of the country as the reason our area has been so dry. "The storm track has been pretty much been coming in from the west coast and diving southward, and by the time the moisture or by the time system gets here it's pretty much dried itself out."
But for those who look forward to the snow during the winter months, don't fret. We can expect a series of storms next year.
"Lake effect snow is definitely a possibility and as we get into the early part of January we could have a storm that develops across the rockies and tracks across the area," Levy said.
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