Easter weather at Christmas? Record warmth forecast this week across U.S.

Forget snow boots. Ask Santa for flip-flops instead.

Christmas 2025 will be memorable for tens of millions of Americans this year due to the expected record warmth that’s forecast for much of the central U.S., where highs could approach 75 degrees as far north as Kansas City, Missouri.

Meanwhile, for Californians this week, memories of a wetter sort are likely, as a pair of potent atmospheric river storms take aim on the Golden State, where widespread flooding rain is in the forecast.

And as for dreams of a white Christmas, folks in the Great Lakes and Northeast could still see some snow on the ground this week from a pair of fast-moving storms.

Record warmth ‌in the central U.S.

The warmth will be widespread this week, forecasters said. “Close to two dozen states, from parts of the Rockies to portions of the Appalachians, northward through much of ‌the Plains and part of the Midwest, are forecast to experience temperatures ‌that are 15-30 degrees above the historical average by Christmas Day,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny said in an online forecast. “At this level, the warmth will be comparable to late April or early May,” she said.

How warm? In Missouri, both Kansas City and St. Louis are forecast to see highs in the mid-70s on Christmas Day, according to a National Weather Service forecast map (below).

In ​the southern Plains, “Oklahoma City will challenge or break record highs over multiple days in a row ‌for the middle and latter part of this ⁠week,” Glenny said. “For this city in particular, highs are forecast to be roughly 30 degrees above the historical average, which is in the upper 40s. Highs this week are projected to be in the upper ‌70s.”

While the lack of cold means that frozen precipitation will also be lacking, persistent low clouds and fog from the Gulf Coast to the Appalachians and Atlantic Coast due to the warmth could reduce visibility, disrupt road travel and cause flight delays, AccuWeather warned. Dense fog advisories were in ‌effect on Monday, Dec. 22, in both the Houston and New Orleans metro areas.

Rain and snow for California

A pair of powerful atmospheric rivers will soak California through Christmas Day, bringing widespread flooding, dangerous travel, damaging winds and several feet of snow to the Sierra Nevada, AccuWeather warned.

Two main atmospheric rivers will funnel Pacific moisture into California, with the first producing 2-4 ‌inches of rain across the Sacramento Valley and ​San Francisco ‌Bay Area early this week.

Numerous flash flooding events are possible, the weather service warned. “In addition, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers. The flooding may include debris flows in or near recently burned areas,” the weather service said.

A second atmospheric river arriving Tuesday night through Christmas Day will bring 4-8 inches of rain in the Los Angeles ‌Basin and up to 12 inches in the Transverse Ranges across Southern California, according to AccuWeather.

Heavy snow is likely in the mountains: Snow levels will drop at midweek, leading to 1-2 feet at Donner Pass and up to 10 feet over Sierra ridges, creating whiteout conditions and extended ​road closures.

Could Northeast see a white Christmas?

At least two fast-moving storms will bring a mix of rain, snow and ice to the northeastern United States through Christmas Day, affecting travel and business operations, AccuWeather said.

The first storm will arrive Monday, Dec. 22, into Tuesday, Dec. 23, spreading snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Great Lakes into the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Ice accretions up to 0.10 ⁠of an inch are possible in parts of central and south-central Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, 1-3 inches of snow will accumulate ​across northern New York and much of New England, with 3-6 inches in the Adirondacks and Green and White Mountains, ⁠according to AccuWeather.

A second storm late Wednesday, Christmas Eve, into Thursday, Christmas Day, will bring mainly rain from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with brief wintry mixes possible on higher ridges early Christmas Day.