Kansas City, MO – Missouri enters the December 13–26 holiday stretch in a near-normal weather pattern, according to new NOAA long-range outlooks — a setup that doesn’t strongly favor snow, but still leaves the door open for a white Christmas if a well-timed storm swings through the Midwest.
According to NOAA, Missouri is positioned squarely in a “Near Normal” zone for both temperatures and precipitation heading into the heart of the holiday travel season. While this neutral pattern lacks a strong signal toward colder or snowier conditions, it also does not diminish Missouri’s potential for a storm-driven snowfall event.
According to NOAA meteorologists, near-normal December patterns often hinge heavily on individual storm tracks rather than broad climate signals. Missouri’s central U.S. position means the state can transition quickly from mild to wintry conditions depending on how systems move across the Plains. A single well-timed low-pressure system could pull down enough cold air to generate accumulating snow, especially across northern and central Missouri.
Historically, cities including Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia, and Springfield have all seen Christmas-week snow events occur during neutral patterns. The key factor is the arrival of colder air behind a Midwest storm system — something that remains possible in the December 18–24 window, a climatologically active period across the region.
Temperatures trending near seasonal averages mean that even slight dips can pivot precipitation from rain to snow, particularly along I-70 and into northern Missouri. Higher elevations of the Ozarks also have a modest chance of seeing snow if a colder air mass settles in.
While forecasters cannot identify specific storms yet, the broader pattern still leaves Missouri with meaningful chances for wintry weather during holiday travel, especially if any system amplifies over the central Plains.
Residents should follow updated forecasts beginning mid-December as confidence grows regarding storm timing and snowfall potential.
