Merry, bright, not so white: Climatologist makes Christmas prediction

The fall of 2018 has been the coldest in 32 years, but we may still be getting a green Christmas.

David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, says a white Christmas is "not something that's a guarantee anymore."

By Dec. 25, the warmer than normal temperatures predicted for the next few weeks could melt the snow now on the ground.

"That snow that you've got sitting on your ground now that will give you that white Christmas is not going to be there," Phillips told Information Morning Moncton. "Absolutely it's going to be assaulted by the warm air and the rain.

"Instead of just dreaming about it, you're going to have to pray for it."

Freezing fall

Phillips said many people in Atlantic Canada brag about the beautiful autumns, but this year's September, October and November were an exception.

"This year it's been the coldest in 32 years … we don't even count December in that category," he said.

But December could prove to be warmer than normal — eight or nine degrees warmer starting this weekend.

"All of a sudden, we're going to see some American air, some warming up by Saturday, my gosh, and rain."

And it's that rain and warm air that may be get between New Brunswickers and their winter landscapes.

"Any precipitation doesn't seem like it's going to be that white stuff," he said.

Mild winter?

Phillips said it's always difficult to accurately predict the precipitation levels of a season, but his models say New Brunswick will most likely see a warmer-than-usual winter.

"I'll [bet] up two loonies that this winter might be actually milder than normal. … Let's just hope that it's not as long as last winter."