“Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning of hand.”
~Henry David Thoreau

Days of miracles. The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah comes to an end tonight, Thursday evening, and the Christian celebration of Christmas arrives next week on Friday. Hanukkah isn’t associated with any style of weather while on the other hand Christmas is…

“I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” “Frosty the Snowman” … the song list goes on and on.

Many songs and stories illustrate the magic of waking up to a blanket of white on Christmas morning. If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, the following cities offer the best chance of seeing snow on Dec. 25 based on weather history. According to three decades of averages from the NOAA’s National Weather Service, the following locations are the most and least likely to get at least one inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day.

Most Likely
Ketchum, Idaho; Aspen, Colorado; Fairbanks, Alaska
One of the coldest cities in the world, Fairbanks, Alaska gets its fair share of snow during the winter. It also has a 100% chance of snow on Christmas Day.

Least Likely
Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, California
There are countless things to see and do in California; however, seeing snow on Christmas Day isn’t one of them. While northeastern parts of the state might see snow, LA County has a 0% chance of snow on Dec. 25.

After today’s (Thursday’s) slight chance of rain, gusty and cold northerly winds are predicted to follow and linger over the weekend. The up-and-coming weather pattern continuing into next week for the CV area brings, aside from a few clouds, clear skies and chilly overnight lows that are here to stay through the holidays.

An astronomical, if not divine, wonder will be taking place on Christmas Eve. We will be able to witness a celestial event known as the Star of Bethlehem or the Christmas Star when Jupiter and Saturn move close together. Last time this happened was about 800 years ago! It’s easy to see; look west just after sunset. Starting several months ago, the two planets had begun moving closer together. Now Jupiter and Saturn appear almost adjoined in appearance. To add a sparkle of magic a crescent moon has joined in making for a Christmas gift of a heavenly nature.

Merry Christmas!

Sue Kilpatrick is a Crescenta Valley
resident and Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service Reach her at suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.