Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - No weather worries for Santa Claus across Western New York and the lower Great Lakes, with calm Christmas weather in the forecast, National Weather Service forecasters say.
"Looking like a pretty quiet weather pattern, at least for the next couple of days," NWS meteorologist Phillip Pandolfo tells WBEN. "There could be a few spotty snow showers at times, mainly south and east of Buffalo," Pandolfo adds. "Pretty quiet, for the most part."
Aside from some leftover snow piled in spots from plows, it will be a gree, not white Christmas across the Buffalo-Niagara region.
"Since snow-keeping records started in Buffalo in 1893, all the way through 2024, historically there is about a 58 percent chance of a white Christmas, which is defined as an inch or more of snow on the ground Christmas morning," Pandolfo says. "Not terribly unusual for us to see a green Christmas ."
Eyes on Friday
Unsettled weather quickly returns for the tail end of the week across the Buffalo-Niagara region, with a chance for a wintry mix.
"Unfortunately Friday is looking very messy across Western New York," Pandolfo cautions. It will be a tricky forecast, Pandolfo admits, with more clarity to come as Christmas unfolds. "It is looking like, for the Buffalo metro area and points further north and east, snow is more favored, while further south, toward the southern tier, could be looking at freezing rain mixing in at times."
Bills-Eagles Sunday
No stadium dig-out will be necessary when the Buffalo Bills host the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park Sunday, with milder temperatures forecast to prevail.
"We're expecting highs in the low 40's," Pandolfo says. "That will be accompanied with widespread rain across much of the area on Sunday."