LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – With forecasters pointing to above-normal temperatures headed into Christmas for Michigan and across the rest of the nation, it’s possible that the lawns in the Mitten State will still be green when Santa arrives – especially in the lower peninsula.

Fox 17 West Michigan is reporting that the Climate Prediction Center, a group of NOAA Meteorologists and Climatologists, are forecasting a very high probability of “above normal” temperatures from December 19 through Christmas Day for Michigan. They say that the forecast doesn’t mean that ALL days will be above a normal high of 37 degrees – but some of them will be – with Michiganders looking at the possibility of mid- or upper-40’s during that time which makes a white Christmas unlikely.

MORE NEWS: VIDEO: Dash Cam Video Shows Deadly Police Chase in Jackson, Pipe Bombs Being Pitched from Vehicle

But remember, meteorologists are people who can get their predictions wrong sometimes.

What does the Old Farmers Almanac have to say about the weather in Michigan on Christmas day? They say we’re going to see rain. Their prediction is that “December 25, rainfall will cause wet roadways and slow travel from the Atlantic Coast into the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley and across Florida and the Deep South into Texas.”

The Weather Channel concurs with the Farmers Almanac on their prediction of rain. They say that it’ll be 46-degrees and rainy in Ann Arbor and Lansing, 44 degrees and rainy in Mt. Pleasant, 42 degrees and rainy in Traverse City, 40 degrees with rain and snow in Mackinaw City and 40 degrees with a mix of rain in snow in Escanaba.

The Weather Channel also gives historical odds of having a white Christmas, which is defined as one inch of snow on the ground on the morning of December 25th. Last year, more than half of the contiguous United States experienced a white Christmas. But that doesn’t appear to be a normal occurrence as of late. On average, only about 38% of the Lower 48 has snow on the ground on Christmas according to 20 years of data compiled by the National Operational Hydrolic Remote Sensing Center.

Last year, the midwest was covered in snow with Marquette measuring a whopping 18-inches on the ground on Christmas morning 2022. But that doesn’t look likely this year. While they got some snow on Tuesday, the Weather Channel is not predicting much snow for them until Christmas Day – and even then it’s only a mix of rain and snow showers with a temperature of 38 degrees. Even the National Weather Service in Marquette says on their X social media account that they are expecting a “brown” Christmas.

AccuWeather differs a bit on the Christmas rain predictions in the state, anticipating 45 degrees in Traverse City with morning flurries and then a few afternoon sprinkles – and Lansing and Ann Arbor being 48 degrees with no rain.

MORE NEWS: Four Years Later, Pandemic Money Spent on Parks, Homeowners’ Roofs, and lllegal Dumping

The kids might not like a green Christmas but travelers do. It makes driving and flying around safer, faster and with a lot less headaches. AAA predicts that 2023 will be the busiest air travel holiday season on record for the 10-day period from Saturday, December 23rd to Monday, January 1st. They are expecting 7.5 million air travelers, topping the previous record in 2019 of 7.3 million. They also say that overall, 115.2 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday season, the second highest number on record. 103.6 million of them will travel by automobile (90%).

In Michigan, about 3.3 million Michiganders are expected to travel 50 miles or more for the holidays, an increase of more than 100K people from last year and the second-busiest holiday travel in the state since 2000. About 207K Michiganders will be flying for the holidays, almost 8K more than last year. With similar or lower gas prices than last year and better weather, that number could increase.

Meanwhile, the kiddos will be chanting, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”