Heavy rain expected around the country this Christmas. Here’s our MS Coast forecast

Rain could soak the Mississippi Coast this Christmas, but forecasters said residents can take some solace: December’s deluge means the region’s drought is almost gone.

The chance of showers begins Saturday night, and thunderstorms are possible in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties after noon on Christmas Eve. The National Weather Service predicted all three counties could see 2 to 3 inches of rain, and the heaviest rainfall is forecast to fall Sunday night.

“There’s no white Christmas this year,” said Phil Grigsby, a lead forecaster at the National Weather Service in Slidell. “Just a wet Christmas.”

Temperatures are expected to reach the 60s this weekend. The rain will not bring back any of the coastal flood warnings issued last week, but Grigsby said if rain falls too fast it could flood U.S. 90 and parts of Pass Road.

Rainfall totals in November and December have greatly improved the region’s drought. More than 6 inches of rain fell in December and over 3 inches fell in November, according to the National Weather Service. Gulfport is still 24 inches below normal measures, but higher-than-average winter rainfall means the Coast has improved its deficit, Grigsby said.

The all-time high for Christmas Eve rainfall was 1.53 inches in 2020, Grigsby said. If rain falls as expected on Sunday, the Coast could break that record.

None of the rain will freeze, and this year temperatures should reach about 66 degrees. That’s cooler than the warmest Christmas Eve on record — 78 degrees in 1984 — but warmer than the coldest Dec. 24 — 9 degrees in 1989, according to Grigsby. This year’s forecast is also nowhere near the conditions on Christmas Eve in 1996, when the Coast saw 1 inch of snow.

This year, heavy rain and storms on the East and West coasts could lead to flooding and flight delays during one of the busiest holiday travel seasons of 2023.

On the Mississippi Coast, the wet weather will be short-lived.

“It’s going to be a pretty soggy Christmas Eve,” Grigsby said. “By Monday, things should start to improve.”