Yes, it’s possible Lakeland could have a white Christmas this year. According to the Weather Underground website, the chances of snow are increasing for next week here in the Lakeland area. Experts say to keep in mind anything over 7 days away is speculation, but other weather pages think we could receive snow as well. Thursday, December 22nd scattered snow showers are predicted for the morning and will give way to a mixture of rain and snow for the afternoon hours. Temps should remain steady in the mid 30s during that time with winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph with chances of precipitation at 50% and snow accumulations less than one inch. Snow showers will become more widely scattered later that day. Closer to Christmas Day the lows will be near 20F with chances of snow at 40%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected as of today. Those aren’t betting numbers but it’s something to monitor.
Furthermore, the National Weather Service and other sources predict temperatures this weekend below freezing at night and then falling towards Christmas into the teens. We are all very aware how Mid-Southerners react to predictions of ice or snowy precipitation. Combining that with Christmas shopping might create unprecedented shopping congestion. With that in mind, it is probably not the best year to procrastinate shopping before Christmas! On the upside, maybe we will have weather that emulates the Christmas movies we all grew up watching. Fingers crossed for a white Christmas in Lakeland!
For up-to-date forecasts: https://www.noaa.gov/weather
